


holding onto you

by hoeunki, kwonjis



Category: MXM (Band), Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Angst and Feels, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Romance, i love the bnm boys so much
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-05
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-01-29 20:00:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 47,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12638130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoeunki/pseuds/hoeunki, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kwonjis/pseuds/kwonjis
Summary: when daehwi meets his long lost brother at a performing arts camp, he makes it their mission to reunite their fathers and make their family whole once again.aka the dongpaca parent trap!au that literally nobody asked for





	1. not that lonely

**Author's Note:**

> shoutout to ballad king sung si kyung for the title! y'all should check out the song and read the lyrics because they're beautiful and perfectly sums up dongpaca in this fic.

Growing up, Daehwi was given everything he wanted. He didn’t think he was a spoiled brat. He never whined about getting his way (his dad would argue otherwise), and he didn’t lavishly spend his money on useless things like other well-off kids he knew did. But despite having pretty much everything he could ever want, Daehwi sometimes felt that there was something  _missing_ in his life. A small void that material objects couldn’t quite fill.

 

This realisation had come to Daehwi rather early in his life. Countless Christmases and holidays where he’d see families strolling through malls and streets with young children bickering and running around together made him come to the realisation that he was  _lonely_. It wasn’t like he was neglected at home. Donghyun had always showered him with unconditional love, never stopped supporting him and always made sure Daehwi felt safe. It had always been the two of them (and Sewoon but he was more of like an uncle who came around every now and then) and Daehwi couldn’t help but feel guilty every time he caught himself thinking about what it would be like if their little family became just a tiny bit bigger.

 

Getting a dog was out of the question. Daehwi was highly allergic to all things furry and fluffy (he had once dragged Donghyun to a pet store to prove that he wasn’t and ended up sneezing 10 times in a row after standing next to a cage of rabbits) and Donghyun didn’t think that having a dog in their apartment would be safe for his fabrics. In an attempt to alleviate what he thought was Daehwi’s need for a pet, Sewoon had good-naturedly bought a tank of fish for Daehwi. He didn’t have the heart to tell his father’s best friend that having a fish just wasn’t the same as having a dog. You couldn’t hug or play with fish.

 

Daehwi’s second option was one that he had had been wrestling with for years. Asking his already busy father to adopt another child seemed like too much to ask. When this idea had initially come to mind, 8-year old Daehwi had brought it up with his father right away. Donghyun had shot down the idea, explaining that his fashion business was too hectic for him to even think about adopting another child. He was already sorry to Daehwi about having to leave him at home with Sewoon as his babysitter some nights because work had him staying back at ungodly hours.

 

But now that Daehwi was older and Donghyun’s business had grown enough for him to be able to delegate his other responsibilities to his managers giving him more time with his son at home, Daehwi figured he could ask once again about possibly getting a younger sibling.

 

“Dad,” Daehwi started, poking at his food with his chopsticks. It was their weekly family night out and Daehwi had picked a restaurant popular among families for the night. He hoped that being surrounded by other parents and their children would somehow unconsciously brainwash his father into being a bit more receptive towards the request he was about to make.

 

“Son,” Donghyun said, mimicking Daehwi’s tone. Daehwi rolled his eyes at this.

 

Setting his chopsticks down, he clasped his hands together in front of him and rested them on the table. He looked at his father in the eye. “Dad,” He tried again, in a more serious tone. Donghyun picked up on his son’s mood and set his own chopsticks down, frowning in concern.

 

“Are you alright? Did something happen?” Donghyun asked worriedly. Daehwi couldn’t help but smile a little at his father’s concern and shook his head.

 

“No, no, nothing bad happened. I just,” He bit his lip, growing slightly nervous. “Ijustwantedtoaskifwecouldadoptabrotherorsister.” The words came rushing out all at once and Donghyun looked confused, clearly not understanding Daehwi’s word vomit.

 

Taking a deep breath, Daehwi tried once more. “I wanted to ask if you changed your mind about adopting another child.” He tried not to let his disappointment show when he noticed his father’s expression had fallen a little after hearing this.

 

Clearing his throat, Donghyun looked at his son. “Daehwi,” He looked a little uncomfortable and Daehwi felt guilty for putting him on the spot like this. “You know I love you very very much. And you know that I would give you absolutely anything you want if I could. But I don’t think  _I’m_ ready for another child.”

 

Daehwi sat up straighter. “Dad, if you’re worried about having the time to take care of another child you don’t have to worry! I’m older now, I can help out more when you’re not around! An-”

 

“Daehwi.” Donghyun’s slightly strained but sharp tone made Daehwi quiet down. “Enough. I’ve already made up my mind about this.” Seeing Daehwi’s crestfallen expression made Donghyun realise he came off a little harsher than he needed to and he reached across the table and took Daehwi’s hands in his.

 

“I know you feel lonely sometimes. I’m sorry I’m not there enough. And I’m sorry I can’t give you another sibling.” Daehwi sighed at this.

 

“No dad, I should be the one saying sorry. I was being selfish again.” He looked at his dad and gave him a small smile. “And I’m not  _that_ lonely. Sewoon comes around every now and then to make sure I’m being fed well. He’s more like a grandma than an uncle, to be honest.”

 

Donghyun laughed and let go of Daehwi’s hands. “Speaking of Sewoon, he’ll be dropping you off at home tonight. I know, I know,” Daehwi had frowned at him. “I promised we’d watch  _Clueless_ tonight but they need me for something at the office.”

 

Pouting, Daehwi folded his arms across his chest. “Fine. But  _I_ get to pick the next two movies for movie night next week.”

 

“Deal.”

 

After finishing up their meal, Daehwi and Donghyun stood outside the restaurant. They chatted for a bit while waiting for Sewoon to arrive. Daehwi talked animatedly about his last day of school while Donghyun listened attentively.

 

Finally, a sleek black sedan pulled up in front of them and a window rolled down. “Sorry!” Sewoon was leaning over from the driver’s seat and waving at the two of them. Donghyun and Daehwi waved back.

 

As Daehwi got into the front seat, Donghyun ducked his head inside to grin at Sewoon. “Thanks for driving him home tonight. I’ll make it up to you.” Sewoon waved his hand dismissively.

 

“You say that all the time. As long as you keep buying me coffee, we’re good.”

 

Donghyun ruffled Daehwi’s hair and kissed him on the forehead before closing the door. Daehwi kept waving at his father through the window until he completely disappeared from view as the car sped away.

 

“So, how did it go?” Sewoon asked as Daehwi slumped back in his seat. Daehwi turned his head to face his father’s best friend. Disappointment washed over him once again and he let out a sigh.

 

“He said no.” Daehwi mumbled sadly. “Said he wasn’t ready for another child and that he had his mind made up already.”

 

Sewoon glanced over at the boy and felt his heart twinge a little in sadness. He knew Donghyun had his reasons but he wished that his friend would open up to his son about it. He pitied them both for the situation they were in.

 

“I didn’t even get around to showing him the twenty-slide presentation I had ready on my phone! He straight up shot me down.” Daehwi continued to mourn. Sewoon chuckled.

 

When they pulled up in the carpark of Daehwi and Donghyun’s apartment building, Daehwi frowned. “You don’t need to walk me up. I’m old enough to take the elevator alone.” Sewoon said nothing and walked Daehwi up to the penthouse where the father and son lived.

 

“Daehwi, could you do me a favour and wait here?” Sewoon asked when they stepped inside the penthouse. Daehwi sat down on the sofa and shrugged, used to Sewoon’s somewhat eccentric ways. “Sure thing,” The boy replied, kicking his feet up on the coffee table and scrolling through his phone.

 

Walking into Donghyun’s office, Sewoon sighed. Donghyun would probably kill him for doing this but Sewoon felt that Daehwi needed to know. No, Daehwi had a  _right_ to know. And if Donghyun wasn’t going to tell him, the least Sewoon could do for his friend was help him out a little. Even if it was going to cost Sewoon his life (read: job).

 

Looking around the bookshelf, Sewoon spotted a familiar looking snowglobe on the corner of the top shelf. He lifted it up and peeled off the key that was taped to the bottom of it.

 

With the key in hand, he hurried over to Donghyun’s desk. He inserted the key into the keyhole of the bottom most drawer and turned it, hearing a click when it unlocked. He pulled the drawer open and rummaged around inside until he found the photo he was looking for.

 

After locking up the drawer and returning the key to its place underneath the snowglobe, he walked back to the living room where Daehwi was waiting for him.

 

“Daehwi,” Sewoon said, sitting down on the chair diagonal from the sofa where Daehwi was sat. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you this. I had hoped Donghyun would tell you but it seems he doesn’t want to yet. I need you to understand that the reason I’m doing this is because I don’t want to see my friend hurt and I don’t want to see  _you_ getting hurt either.” Sewoon knew that Daehwi’s question tonight had most likely reopened wounds that Donghyun hadn’t gotten over yet. And Daehwi was also more disappointed than he had let on.

 

Daehwi frowned as Sewoon slid over the photograph he had taken across the coffee table. Picking it up, he looked at the photo. At first glance, he didn’t recognise anyone in the photo. It consisted of two men smiling happily on a park bench with a baby sitting on each of their laps.

 

Upon closer inspection, Daehwi realised with a loud gasp that one of the men in the photo was his father. He looked younger, more care-free and he was beaming at the camera as he held a young toddler, probably no older than two, with chubby cheeks and who was scowling at the camera. The man sitting next to Donghyun had curly hair and was smiling happily at the camera as well, a tiny baby wrapped up tight in a blanket nestled in his arms.

 

Daehwi barely recognised himself in the man’s arms and he gaped at the photo, eyes darting between the two unfamiliar faces in the photo. “Wh-who is that man holding me? And who’s that child in Dad’s lap?” He stammered in shock.

 

“That’s your brother. And that’s your other father.” Sewoon said softly. Daehwi’s hands trembled a little but he held onto the photo tighter. When he looked up at Sewoon, his eyes looked a little wet with tears that he was holding back.

 

“Is this why Dad doesn’t want to adopt any other children?” Daehwi’s voice shook a little. He was stunned, confused, and his heart ached as he looked at the faces of the brother and father he had never met.

 

Sewoon put a consoling hand on Daehwi’s knee. “Donghyun’s heart broke when he moved to Seoul with you. He wanted to start fresh with just the two of you even if he was still hurting. He w-”

 

“I don’t want to know anymore.” Daehwi said suddenly, surprising Sewoon. He looked at his father’s friend with a determined look in his teary eyes. “I-I think I already know more than I should.” He glanced down at the photo again and folded it up neatly. “Thank you though.” He said quietly. “For showing me this. I’ll just wait for dad to tell me the rest when he’s ready.” He gave Sewoon a tiny smile before hugging him quickly.

 

Sewoon patted Daehwi on the back, relieved that he had taken the news surprisingly well. “I should get going then. I think I’ve overstayed my welcome too long.” He joked as he stood up from his seat. Daehwi let out a little laugh and followed Sewoon as he made his way to the front door. Before he left, Sewoon turned around to face Daehwi one more time. "Don't hate your father for this. He was just doing what he thought was best for the two of you."

 

Later that night, after Sewoon had left, Daehwi pulled out the folded up photo and used the light from his phone screen to illuminate it. His chest tightened as he looked at the smiling face of his other father and at his brother's little scowl. A part of him desperately wanted to jump out of bed and wait for his father to get home and demand answers. Why did they separate? Did he know where the other half of their family lived now? Would Donghyun let Daehwi meet them?

 

But another part of him thought back to what Sewoon had said. About how Donghyun wanted to have a new beginning with Daehwi. Just the two of them. He thought of how happy his father seemed now with Daehwi. Maybe it was for the better that they had split.

 

Maybe it would only bring Donghyun more pain to bring up the past.

 

Daehwi decided that if Donghyun was happy with just the two of them, then it was good enough for him too. Now that he understood why his father had been so against adopting another child, it made him feel less distraught about the fact that he would probably never get another sibling.

 

Blowing a kiss to the photo in his hands, he turned off his phone and folded up the photo before tucking it away inside his pillowcase.

 

Daehwi’s last thoughts before he fell asleep were of wishing to meet the other half of his family and wanting to thank them for making his dad happy even if it hadn’t ended all that well.

 

_I want to thank them for making dad smile like that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hoeunki and i will be taking turns writing the chapters (and occasionally helping each other when we get dried out) so we apologize if the writing seems inconsistent throughout the fic but we'll do our best to keep it as homogeneous as possible
> 
> pls leave any comments and kudos below! we thrive off them :)
> 
> \- kwonjis


	2. is he a gangster?

“Did you even pack enough underwear? What happens if you run out?”

 

Woojin paused the game on his phone and looked over at the blonde man sitting next to him, who was clutching a notebook and a pen. Peering at the open page, he saw that it was a packing list, with little checkboxes next to each item. It even included how many there were. _Eight pairs of socks_ , Woojin read. He scratched his head. Who needed eight pairs of socks for a seven-day camp? Knowing himself, he’d probably end up opting to wear slippers the whole time anyway.

 

Woojin gave his father a shrug. “Go commando…?” he suggested, and started laughing as Youngmin choked on the water he was drinking.

 

After Youngmin had finished hacking his lungs out (and Woojin had successfully reassured all the other passengers in the car that his father was okay and _not_ dying), Woojin turned back to the window.

 

It was his first time travelling out of Busan and, needless to say, Woojin was extremely hyped. With his exceptional persuasive skills and a snaggletoothed smile, he had convinced his father to let him attend a performing arts camp over the summer break. It got a bit boring sometimes when he had no-one else to dance with him but the fish at their farm. Not that Woojin ever felt particularly lonely. Jaehwan was always there to sing or play a tune on his guitar for Woojin to dance to.

 

He stared out of the window, watching the scenery as it whizzed by. From the endless fields of green to the rows of buildings and telephone wires, everything was so new, so exciting, and something in Woojin’s stomach fluttered as he imagined meeting the other kids at the camp. Were they just as good at dancing as he thought he was? Would they be cool, city kids? Did they snore in their sleep?

 

“How long until we get there?” he asked his dad, who had put his reading glasses on and was staring at a map.  

 

Youngmin glanced at his watch. “Just over half an hour. You can take a quick nap, if you want.” He brought out his backpack from under the table and unzipped it, lifting out a worn little buffalo stuffed toy.

 

“Dad!” Woojin hissed, grabbing the toy and pulling it to his chest. He glanced around. “I’m not a baby anymore!”

 

Youngmin reached over, patting the buffalo gently with a fond look in his eyes. “I know you're not,” he said, “but this is just in case you get a little homesick.”

 

Woojin looked down at the buffalo. Its left eye was about to fall out, and one of the horns was a bit lopsided from all the chewing he did as a toddler. Woojin tucked it under his arm and curled up into his chair, plugging his earphones in as he drifted off to sleep.

 

Strange, he thought. As much as he tried, he could never remember where he got the toy from.

 

*****

 

The sunlight was bright in Woojin’s eyes as he stepped out of the taxi. He inhaled, breathing in the earthy scent of mud and the summer breeze.

 

“Doesn't look like anyone is here yet,” Youngmin commented as he heaved Woojin’s suitcase out of the trunk. Woojin chuckled as he watched his father dump it on the ground with a loud grunt, and proceeded to clutch his back like an old man.

 

“Take it easy, gramps. I knew we’d be an hour early because of you.”  

 

Youngmin glared at being called ‘gramps’, but didn't deny it. He was always paranoid about being late and as a result, Woojin often found himself sitting alone, playing games on his phone or simply observing people.

 

“Hello there!” a cheery voice called out, capturing the attention of both father and son. A relatively tall man was walking towards them, with scarily wide shoulders and a chain around his neck. He had earrings on both ears, and for a second, Woojin couldn't believe it was the same man who had just called out to them.

 

“Oh my goodness,” Youngmin whispered, clutching Woojin’s arm. “Is he a gangster?”

 

Somehow, the cargo shorts and the bandana around his neck made Woojin think otherwise.

 

As he approached, he burst into a smile, and the appearance of two bunny teeth suddenly made him look more like a puppy than a gang member.

 

“Looks like you got here early, kiddo!” he giggled and scratched the back of his neck. “I do that a lot too. I get a bit too excited sometimes. Heh.”

 

Youngmin blinked. “Are you from Busan?”

 

The man’s eyes widened before he laughed to himself. “Whoops, where are my manners?” He took both their hands and shook them vigorously. “Kang Daniel, professional dance teacher. And yes, I'm from Busan.”

 

His father immediately struck up a conversation with Daniel, and Woojin slipped away, clutching his backpack. He wandered around the entrance, kicking at the gravel. The road stretched far, and Woojin could see a few cabins and tents set up in the distance.

 

“Woojin!” came his father's voice. He turned around and jogged back to the adults. Youngmin leaned down and ruffled his hair. “I have to go, buddy. Gotta catch the train back.”

 

Woojin felt his chest tighten all of a sudden.  “Already…?”

 

It had always been the two of them. Him and his father, for as long as he could remember. They cooked together, caught fish together, watched the sunset together... Woojin suddenly felt like a kid on his first day of kindergarten, unwilling to let go of his dad’s hand.

 

Youngmin smiled reassuringly and pulled him in for a hug. “Don't worry. You'll be fine. Be a good kid and try not to make anyone cry with your talent.”

 

Woojin laughed. “I'll try my best.”

 

They pulled apart and Youngmin placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. “See you later.”

 

Woojin watched as his dad flagged down a taxi. He quickly unzipped his back and took out the buffalo toy, and waved its little hoof at Youngmin as he climbed in the taxi.

 

Youngmin smiled as he saw Woojin waving, and he raised his hand to wave back. Then, for a split second, a strange look passed over his eyes as his gaze landed on the buffalo. He blinked quickly and as the cab sped away, he turned around and waved hurriedly at Woojin, until the vehicle disappeared in the trees.

 

“So,” Daniel came up behind him. “We have an hour to kill. Let’s do some icebreakers!”

 

Woojin sighed. It was going to be a long hour.

 

*****

 

By the end of the hour, Woojin could name all of Daniel’s middle school crushes, knew exactly how long it took for him to commute to work, what his favorite color was, and what movies his boyfriend liked watching. He could even tell you what Daniel’s favorite candle scent was.

 

Throughout their in-depth conversation, more cars had pulled up. Woojin spotted a sleek convertible, ridden by two men. Other camp counsellors, he assumed. One of them was tall and was smartly dressed, with a striped shirt and an expensive looking bag. The other one was shorter, wearing a plaid outfit and some jeans.

 

Another car came shortly after. This one was ridden by three men, all who were very different. One of them, with a muscular build and tattoos peeking out from under his sleeve, made eye contact with him. Woojin was glad his father wasn’t here. He might’ve fainted.

 

More parents came to drop off their kids. A bus stopped by and a bunch of boys around his age filtered out, all chattering excitedly. One of them was wearing a bucket hat. Another one had horrible fashion taste. The last one to get off was stuffing his mouth with dried mangoes. Woojin stared at them. They all kind of seemed weird. He sure hoped they wouldn’t be his roommates. He wanted someone more chill and laid-back.

 

Daniel got up, saying that he needed to go meet with the other counsellors. Woojin nodded and thanked him for spending time with him.

 

“It’s no big deal,” Daniel replied. “I’ll see you later!”

 

Woojin waved goodbye, and at that moment, another kid caught his attention. He was climbing out of a car, and his eyes were wide with excitement. He started slapping the arm of the man who exited from the driver’s seat, and was saying something with sparkly eyes and big gestures. The man, who Woojin assumed to be the boy’s father, leaned down and said something to him, before placing a kiss on his forehead.

 

The whole scene seemed oddly familiar.

 

The ringing of a bell snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked to where a camp counsellor was waving one in his hands. Daniel was standing next to him, all smiles. The other camp counsellor lifted a megaphone to his mouth, announcing something about the start of the camp. Woojin hopped off his seat and grabbed his suitcase, dragging it over the uneven path.

 

As he followed the crowd, he bumped into another boy, who tripped and fell flat on his face.

 

“Oh no! I’m so sorry!” Woojin said, helping the boy to his feet. It hadn’t even been five minutes and he had already broken someone’s nose. What was his dad going to say?

 

The kid turned to him and smiled, blood trickling down his nose and into his mouth. Woojin winced. He didn’t realize that being a weirdo was one of the requirements for this camp.

 

“That’s okay!” the boy said, holding out a hand for Woojin to shake. “I’m Hyungseob. Let’s be friends!”

 

Woojin stared at him. “Do you...need a tissue?” he gestured to the bloody mess on his face. Hyungseob blinked, and wiped his nose. His eyes widened comically at the red liquid on his fingers.

 

“Whoa! A nosebleed!” he elbowed another kid who was passing by. “Look, Euiwoong!”

 

Euiwoong was not impressed.

 

After some introductions and greetings in the main hall, Daniel took the microphone and announced that it was time to unpack their stuff in their respective cabins. Apparently, they had already assigned each kid a cabin, and Woojin was going to be rooming with four other boys. Fun.

Hyungseob latched onto Woojin when the intros were over. “Hey! Woong and I are gonna be in the cabin next to yours. We can have sleepovers and tell each other our deepest and darkest secrets!”

 

Euiwoong pulled him off. “Stop bothering the poor guy.”

 

The three of them (mostly Hyungseob) chatted on their way to the cabins. When Woojin arrived at his, he saw that the door was already open, which meant that some other kid had already arrived first. He knocked twice before entering.

 

The interior was nice and cozy, with two pairs of bunk beds by the walls, and a single bed by the window. A circular rug was spread out on the floor, and there were a couple of drawers for their belongings.

 

On one of the bunk beds, someone was already unpacking his stuff. Woojin recognized him as the kid with the bad fashion sense that got off the bus.

 

He walked up behind him. “Hey.”

 

The boy stood up, startled, and hit his head on the top bunk. “Ow!” he yelped, collapsing onto the carpet.

 

“...Whoops.”

 

The boy glared up at him from his position on the floor. “Don’t scare me like that!” His whole face was a pinkish shade. Like a sausage.

 

Woojin shrugged, dumping his belongings on the bed where the other kid was unpacking. “So are you taking the top bunk? I don’t really care. I’m Woojin, by the way. Park Woojin.”

 

The pink faced boy got up off the floor and grabbed his clothes, tossing them up onto the top bunk. “Jihoon,” he muttered, climbing up. “Park Jihoon.”

 

Another boy came into the cabin. It was the one wearing the bucket hat. He had a strangely gloomy expression on his face. He marched straight to the other bed and tossed his duffel bag onto the top bunk in one swift motion.

 

“What’s your name?” Woojin asked, and the boy turned around. He stared at Woojin for a moment before quietly answering, “Bae Jinyoung.”

 

Woojin was about to strike up a conversation with him when two boys barged in, speaking in rapid fire English. The one on the left had a pink cap and was wearing an oversized white shirt and some jeans. The one on the right, with hair dyed an ash brown, was the one that Woojin saw earlier with his father.

 

“Dibs on the single bed!” Pink Cap hollered, launching himself onto the mattress. The other one rolled his eyes and pulled his suitcase past Woojin and onto the last remaining bed.

 

“You’re so extra, Muel.”

 

“Says the one who blew glittery confetti at the audience during his assembly performance.”

 

Woojin watched the two as they bickered for a while. “So I take it you guys are besties or something?” he piped up.

 

Both of them turned to him with surprised expressions, as if they only just noticed his presence. They exchanged a mischievous smile before hopping up onto the single bed. Pink Cap struck a pose.

 

“I’m Samuel!” He froze in his position and the other boy twirled, flipping his hair and posing with a hand on his hip like some high fashion model.

 

“I’m Daehwi!” They did some sort of elaborate handshake before they rolled onto the floor.

 

“Oh, dear Lord,” Jihoon groaned.

 

“And together…” they chorused, drumming on the floor. “We’re Samhwi!”

 

A moment of silence passed. Woojin wasn’t sure whether to laugh, or cry. Applause came from the entrance of their cabin, where Hyungseob was staring at them in awe. Woojin sighed internally. There went his hopes of having normal roommates.

 

The five of them quickly unpacked their belongings and together, they headed up to the lunch area. They decided to take a seat next to Hyungseob and his cabin mates, who seemed relatively more relaxed. Two of them had a foreign vibe, and the other one was still eating dried mangoes.

 

“So apparently,” Samuel said, leaning on the table, “We’re gonna do some team building activities with the cabin next door before we go off and do our own things.” No one was really paying him much attention. They were all too preoccupied with their lunch to listen.

 

“We should do introductions then!” Hyungseob said enthusiastically through a mouthful of food. Jihoon looked at him in mild disgust and scooted his plate closer to himself. “Hi everyone! I’m Hyungseob!”

 

After introductions were made, conversation flowed a little easier between the ten of them. Woojin found himself talking to Samuel, impressed to hear that the younger boy was studying dance.

 

“So do you like, go to some kind of arts school?” Woojin asked, a little enviously. He would have loved to attend a dance academy but sadly all the best ones were too far from Busan and Youngmin had been adamant about staying to take care of the family fish farm.

 

Samuel nodded happily. “Yep! Daehwi and I both go to the same one. It’s kinda hard sometimes because we have to plan all our own showcases throughout the year plus do normal school work like everyone else but I find it pretty fun!” Woojin listened in awe.

 

“What about you?” Samuel asked, taking a quick sip of water. “What do you study?” Woojin scratched the back of his neck.

 

“Uh, well I go to a normal high school. But I’d love to study dance someday if I had the chance.” Samuel sat up straighter at this.

 

“You dance?” He sounded really excited. “You should show us some moves! Oh! We should have a dance off!”

 

The sound of someone scrambling out of their seat was Woojin’s only warning before Hyungseob stuck himself to Woojin’s side, eyes wide. “Count me in! I wanna show you all my sick moves.” He half-yelled into Woojin’s ear.

 

Eventually the dance-off was hosted outside the two cabins later that evening. Hyungseob, Samuel, Woojin, Justin, and Jihoon (after much persuasion from Jinyoung and Daehwi) were to be the stars of that evening while the rest of the group were spectators.

 

Justin’s brother’s boyfriend Eunki, one of the other dance counsellors at the camp along with Justin’s brother, was assigned as the judge of the dance-off and was also put in charge of the music. In hindsight, Woojin regretted this decision as he watched Eunki sashay onto the makeshift grass stage and twerk to half a song before Minhyun, a vocal counsellor, forcefully removed him from the stage and lectured him about appropriate conduct around minors.

 

“Let’s get this party started!” Eunki shouted, returning to his judging spot after promising a disgruntled Minhyun that he wouldn’t dance anymore that evening. The kids all cheered and whooped as Hyungseob bravely made his way to the center of the stage.

 

Hyungseob unleashed his so-called ‘sick moves’ in the form of him dancing along to some Girl’s Generation songs. The other boys clapped and cheered in delight while Euiwoong looked mildly embarrassed but mostly proud.

 

Next up was Justin, who moonwalked onto the stage and blew a kiss to the audience. Eunki cheered wildly, while Justin’s brother Zhengting watched on with teary eyes and a proud expression on his face. Woojin watched as Justin danced smoothly to a Bruno Mars song. Despite his young age, Woojin was impressed with the Chinese boy’s skills and was particularly blown away by the facial expressions Justin made as he danced soulfully.

 

Jihoon took the stage next, showing off a series of impressive popping skills. Woojin didn’t expect Jihoon to be _this_ good at dancing and found his feet taking him to the stage, joining the other boy in an impromptu joint performance. He could hear the others cheering them on loudly and grinned at Jihoon after they breathlessly finished their stage.

 

Samuel clapped him on the back as he returned to the audience. “That was amazing, dude!”

 

“Yeah, that was great!” Daehwi echoed, smiling at him. Woojin watched in amusement as Daehwi pushed Samuel onto the stage. “SHOW THEM WHAT YOU GOT MUEL!” The younger boy screamed.

 

Samuel smiled bashfully as a pop song started playing. Samuel was _good_ . Woojin watched Samuel’s agile steps and fancy footwork as he effortlessly and cleanly danced to the song. He captured the audience with a few winks and finger hearts here and there and Woojin had no doubt that Samuel was _born_ to be a performer.

 

The dance-off ended with a surprise stage by Zhengting and Eunki. The kids watched in awe as the two lovers elegantly glided across the stage to the dulcet sounds of ‘Skinny Love’.

 

As the song ended, and Eunki swept Zhengting into a dramatic hug, Minhyun came back on stage with a megaphone in hand. He switched it on and coughed _very_ loudly.

 

“TIME TO SLEEP, KIDS!” They all grumbled unhappily at this but dispersed anyways. Minki, another counsellor who had shown up to watch the dance-off, booed at Minhyun and smacked him on the shoulder. Woojin could hear him complaining about how they never announced the winner.

 

“That was fun,” said Jinyoung. “We should have a sing-off tomorrow.”

 

Seonho perked up. “That’s a great idea! I’ve been working on polishing my honey vocals.” The ten boys continued chattering, unwilling to part ways for the night.

 

Finally Guanlin piped up, “We should have a sleepover!” The boys all murmured excitedly and soon they all rushed off to quickly wash up and change into their sleeping attire.

 

It was a miracle that they managed to squeeze ten adolescent boys inside one cabin. Hyungseob and the others dragged whatever mattresses they could fit into Woojin’s cabin from their own and laid it out onto the floor. Seonho insisted on bringing along a bag of snacks that he had packed and they all shared the food between them. Daehwi played some music out loud on his speakers, lighting up the atmosphere.

 

As Woojin sat on his bed, he looked at all the boys (no, his friends) with fondness. He pulled the buffalo plushie out of his bag and sat it on his lap.

 

“Dad,” he whispered, stroking its fur.

 

“I think I’m starting to understand what having a brother feels like.”

 

*****

 

The next day was busy, and the counsellors had separated the boys into their respective vocal, rap, and dance groups. Seonho shuffled along behind Daehwi as they followed Dongho, the large muscled counselor who Seonho noticed struck a little fear in Daehwi. Seonho didn’t really see anything to be scared of. The man had a friendly smile and encouraged them all with kind words throughout his vocal workshop.

 

“Hey Daehwi, have you seen my extra energy bars?” Seonho rummaged through his bag during the break that Dongho had given them. He could’ve sworn he had them with him yesterday. His mom was always getting on his case about being disorganized.

 

Daehwi looked up and tapped his chin. “You might’ve left some in our room last night. You should go check.”

 

Seonho got up and skipped over to the cabins. On his way, he spotted a familiar lanky figure. Grabbing Guanlin by the arm, he pulled the boy along with him as he continued his journey back to the cabins. After searching the cabin for a couple of minutes, Seonho finally spotted his beloved energy bars next to Daehwi’s face masks on his bed. He was about to stand up when he noticed a little photograph, no bigger than a postcard, taped up on the wall next to Daehwi’s pillow.

 

He peered at it. It was a cute family photo, he noted. Seonho waved Guanlin over.

 

“Look at this! Little baby Daehwi wrapped up in a blanket!”

 

Guanlin sat on the bed and studied the photograph. For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Then, he pointed to the toddler sitting on the lap of the other man.

 

“Isn’t this Woojin?” he asked, staring at Seonho blankly.

 

Seonho blinked and rubbed his eyes, staring closely at the baby. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the chubby cheeks and the scowl _did_ seem incredibly familiar.

 

“But that’s kinda odd,” Seonho said, scratching his head. “They never said anything about being brothers."

 

Guanlin shrugged. “Maybe they just have a weird relationship. My sister’s friends didn’t know I existed until I showed up at her graduation.”

 

Seonho looked back at the two babies in the photo. He hummed. “I guess so.”

 

They scooped up the rest of Seonho’s energy bars and left the room. Seonho strolled back to where Daehwi was sitting, warming up his voice with Jinyoung.

 

“What took you so long?” he asked. Seonho shrugged and handed him an energy bar.

 

Seonho thought back to the old photograph on the wall. Something told him it wasn't the right time to bring it up just yet.

 

“Oh, nothing important.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello hello! just wanted to announce that we will try our best to do weekly updates (or maybe even twice a week depending on when we get inspiration) due to school and stuff like that, so sorry if progress is a bit slow.
> 
> big shoutout to all of you reading this fic!!! *hugs from woojin's buffalo plushie*
> 
> \- hoeunki


	3. hyungseob and the boys

Daehwi loved the camp.

 

He loved the fresh air. He loved feeling the sun on his skin, warming him up and making him want to sing and dance with joy. He grew to love all of the slightly odd but passionate counsellors (he grew especially fond of Dongho after overcoming his initial fear and realising that the man was really just a gigantic teddy bear in human form).

 

But what Daehwi loved the most about the camp were the people. He loved all the other kids at the camp but he nursed the softest spot in his heart for the four people sharing his cabin and the five people sharing the cabin next door. 

 

The first three days of the camp had been amazing. Daehwi learned more than he could have imagined from the wonderfully supportive counsellors but found that the advice and quiet discussions with the other kids provided him with knowledge more valuable than anything he owned. 

 

Between workshops and activities, when they were given free time, Daehwi would lounge around inside the cabin with the other boys. They’d chatter endlessly about anything and everything. These were the moments Daehwi cherished the most. 

 

When he looked back at his the family photo he taped up on the wall next to him, he felt a warm feeling in his chest.  _ Is this what it’s like to have brothers?  _ Daehwi would think, recalling the happiness he felt around the boys he had befriended. 

 

Daehwi had clicked particularly well with Woojin. Although the older boy seemed slightly grouchy at times, he could also be mischievous. Daehwi had seen this first-hand when he watched Jihoon and Woojin (or ‘The Pink Sausages’ as they had affectionately called themselves in reference to the matching set of pink pyjamas they had unwittingly brought) prank Daniel’s boyfriend Seongwoo, another dance counsellor, by sneaking into his cabin and filling his shoes with lizards. 

 

The fact that the two of them hadn’t gotten caught chilled Daehwi to the bones. He made a mental note to not mess with Jihoon and Woojin for the rest of the camp.

 

But aside from Woojin’s mischievous side, he was extremely caring towards the boys younger than him. He always looked after Guanlin and made sure he was able to keep up with whatever routine they were learning. Although he couldn’t speak Mandarin, he tried his best to relay instructions to Justin whenever Euiwoong or Hyungseob wasn’t around to translate. 

 

For Daehwi, Woojin felt like someone he could talk about anything with. Someone to lean on. Someone he could trust. There was something about the other boy that made Daehwi let his guard down easily. 

 

They had many similarities, as Daehwi discovered. They were both only kids with single dads. Both of them were adopted. They were also both extremely scared of bugs and had cowered together in Woojin’s bunk when a beetle had flown into their cabin. Justin, who had heard their screams from next door, shook his head at the two of them and muttered something in Mandarin under his breath as he tossed the beetle out for them.

 

Currently, Woojin and Daehwi were sitting by the lake. It was the fourth day of camp and they had been given a bit more free-time to practice their performances for the final campfire night. Naturally, the majority of the kids had taken the opportunity to relax a little and enjoy the other facilities and areas of the camp that they hadn’t gotten the chance to explore. 

 

Daehwi’s cabin and Hyungseob’s cabin all decided to hang out by the lake. Daehwi sat by the edge of the little wooden pier watching the others cannonball and flip into the water. It was close to sunset and the glowing sun had bathed the entire lake in golden light. It made the whole scene feel very dreamlike and Daehwi found himself wishing that the moment would never end.

 

_ “Hey, dad?” _

 

_ The wind was salty. Salty and strong. It whipped against Daehwi’s face and he felt his hair flying in every direction. _

 

_ The father and son duo were decked out in beach attire. Donghyun had traded his usual business slacks and shirt for a pair of chino shorts and a t-shirt. A pair of sunglasses rested on his head, finishing up the look. Daehwi was wearing blue swimming trunks and a floral shirt that had gotten discarded on the side of the towel when Daehwi made a beeline for the waters upon arrival. _

 

_ “Mmmhm?” Donghyun hummed. He was lying on his stomach with a book titled ‘The Ultimate Survival Guide For The Single Father’ open in front of him. Daehwi had told him numerous times that he was doing a great job raising him but Donghyun had insisted that continuous improvement was never a bad thing. _

 

_ Daehwi kicked at the sand, accidentally scaring away some seagulls who had been lurking nearby. He didn’t feel sorry at all. They’d been eyeing their food basket ever since they got to the beach. “When will we get to go to a  _ _ real _ _ beach?” Donghyun tucked his bookmark in his book and set it down. _

 

_ “What do you mean? Isn’t this a real beach?” He frowned at Daehwi, tossing his head in an attempt to shake his hair out of his face. _

 

_ “The skyscrapers in the background kind of take away from the whole beach-holiday-vibe I’m looking for,” Daehwi said half-jokingly. They had driven down to Incheon at Daehwi’s request to visit a beach.  _

 

_ Not to be ungrateful but Daehwi had hoped for a longer drive to somewhere more scenic and less urban. _

 

_ Donghyun tilted his head, still not quite comprehending what Daehwi meant. “We should go to a beach out way out in the countryside!” Daehwi said, trying to hide the mild exasperation in his voice. “Somewhere far away like Jeju, or Busan!” _

 

_ “Busan?” Donghyun said in a somewhat strangled tone as he sat up. Daehwi nodded enthusiastically, scooting closer to his father as best he could on their beach towel. He grabbed Donghyun’s arm and gave him the best puppy-eyed expression he could muster. _

 

_ “Pleaaaase!” Daehwi was practically whining now. “Busan always looks so nice in pictures. I wanna see it for myself someday too! Please dad, can we go someday?”  _

 

_ Daehwi noticed a strange expression flit across his father’s face but it disappeared before he could dwell on it.  _

 

_ “Sure, son. Someday.” _

 

A sudden splash of water at his legs jolted Daehwi out of his memories and he looked to the water where Guanlin and Seonho were having a splashing contest. They smiled sheepishly, yelling out an apology before swimming further away. 

 

“Don’t you want to join?” Woojin had prodded him with his foot, grinning when Daehwi glanced over his shoulder. He was in slippers and a pair of obnoxiously bright swimming shorts. Daehwi kicked his legs out, looking at the water.

 

“I’d love to but I left my swim shorts at home,” He said bitterly. He should have known better than to rely on the hastily scribbled out packing list that his father had cheerfully handed to him. How he managed to run a successful business mystified Daehwi sometimes. 

 

Woojin didn’t say anything but turned on his heel and jogged away. Daehwi shrugged, used to Woojin being, well, Woojin and continued watching the other kids in the lake. Jihoon and Justin were attempting to do handstands in the shallower parts of the lake and Daehwi laughed as the duo’s legs collided. 

 

Out of nowhere, something soft landed next to Daehwi with a quiet  _ flump _ and he glanced over to see a pair of shorts in a colour that rivalled Woojin’s in brightness. Daehwi barely managed to see Woojin doing a run-up behind him before he cannonballed into the lake. When he re-emerged, he grinned at Daehwi and pointed to the shorts. “You can borrow those.” 

 

Daehwi felt a rush of gratitude and hurriedly stood up, picking up the shorts as he did so. He shouted a quick thanks over his shoulder as he ran back to the cabins to change.

 

When he returned to the lake, the others had split into teams and were challenging each other to a swimming relay. “Daehwi,” Samuel was shouting and waving frantically at him. “You’re on my team!” 

 

Seonho, Justin, Samuel, Daehwi, and Euiwoong were on one team. Seonho had dubbed their team the ‘Foreign Squad’ despite the fact that the only real foreigner was Justin but no one wanted to argue with him.

 

‘Hyungseob and the Boys’ consisted of Woojin, Jinyoung, Jihoon, Hyungseob, and Guanlin. “We’re totally gonna kick your team’s butt.” Woojin grinned. Samuel scoffed and pointed at Guanlin.

 

“Don’t get cocky yet. You’ve got Mr Two Left Feet on your team.” Guanlin flushed a bright shade of red and sent a splash towards Samuel.

 

“Good luck with Seonho’s noodle limbs!” Jihoon yelled back in retaliation. 

 

After shouting insults back and forth, the relay finally commenced. Justin and Jinyoung started the race while the rest of them cheered them on. The two of them were surprisingly decent swimmers and made it back to their waiting teammates in no time. Daehwi and Woojin were next, though Daehwi proved to be no match for Woojin. The older boy glided through the water as easily as if he were a fish and Daehwi was dismayed when Woojin effortlessly swam back to the starting point while he lagged behind.

 

Samuel managed to regain some ground for their team, overtaking Hyungseob effortlessly. Euiwoong and Jihoon were another even matchup and both teams breathlessly waited for the two to reach the final swimmers: Guanlin and Seonho.

 

The younger kids looked nervous but determined and they stared each other down. Euiwoong and Jihoon reached their respective teammates at the same time and everyone cheered as Guanlin and Seonho took off. 

 

Unsurprisingly, the two kids were quite terrible at swimming. Daehwi felt his stomach cramping as they all laughed and cheered the younger kids on. Guanlin made it back first by an arm’s length and the rest of ‘Hyungseob and the Boys’ carried him out of the lake, shouting happily. 

 

The rest of the afternoon went by in a flurry of laughter, smiles, and warmth. Daehwi couldn’t remember the last time he laughed this much with other kids his age. At some point, someone attempted to tie a rope they found to a tree near the lake to swing from before Minhyun had shown up. 

 

Daehwi and the others only managed to hear the first five minutes of Minhyun’s lecture before Minki snuck up behind him and pushed him into the lake. Minhyun’s shrieks and glares had given the rest of them the signal to make a retreat back to their cabins and they scurried away. Daehwi could hear Minki’s maniacal cackles as he ran. 

 

Losing the relay from earlier that afternoon meant that Daehwi and his team were given last dibs on the showers in their respective cabins. Woojin grinned apologetically as he hopped past Daehwi and the others who were sitting on the grass outside.

 

“It’s nice of Woojin to lend you his shorts,” Seonho commented as he plucked at the patch of grass next to him mindlessly.

 

Daehwi hummed, stretching his legs out in front of him. “Yeah, I owe him one,” He replied. Next to him, Samuel let out a loud yawn and flopped down on the grass with his arms spread out on either side of him.

 

“I hope they hurry up,” He mumbled. “I swear I could end up falling asleep and catching pneumonia out here. Hey, if I die I won’t have to choreograph the dance showcase next semester!” He shot Daehwi a grin and waggled his eyebrows. Daehwi rolled his eyes at kicked at his best friend halfheartedly. “Don’t say things like that,” He chided.

 

The two of them continued bickering while Justin, Seonho, and Euiwoong watched on with amusement. Daehwi ended up wrestling Samuel when Jihoon poked his head out to tell them that the bathroom was free. Samuel eventually gave up and let Daehwi shower first.

 

The warm shower water refreshed Daehwi, washing away the day’s fatigue. When he was finished, he took great care in rinsing and washing the shorts Woojin had lent him before hanging it outside where the rest of his friends’ wet things were drying.

 

When Daehwi re-entered the cabin, he smiled at the sight of the Seonho and the others from the next cabin sitting with his own cabin mates. Somehow their cabin had become the unofficial gathering place for the large group. 

 

Stepping over Guanlin’s legs, Daehwi flopped down on his bed where Jinyoung was sitting. Woojin and Jihoon were doing some kind of weird martial arts fight thing that Daehwi didn’t really understand in the cramped space available (the movements they were making seemed to suggest that neither of them actually knew martial arts) while everyone else was doing their own thing. Hyungseob was singing along softly to a song that Euiwoong was playing from his phone while Justin was teaching Seonho some Chinese words. Guanlin was snoring away next to Seonho. Samuel was still showering and Daehwi could hear him singing some Justin Bieber song loudly.

 

“I can’t wait for dinner,” He groaned, rolling over on his bed so that his face was smushed against the mattress. Jinyoung scooted over a little to give him more space. “I feel like I could eat as much as Seonho.”

 

Daehwi felt Jinyoung shift a little more on the bed and he turned his head to see that he was examining Daehwi’s family photo. “Hey,” Jinyoung said slowly. He gave Daehwi a confused look. “You never told me that you and Woojin were brothers.”

 

“Um, that’s because we’re not?” Daehwi said, just as confused. Jinyoung shook his head, moving away from the photo. 

 

“I mean, if you guys aren’t close you don’t have to lie about it,” Daehwi could hear a twinge of hurt in Jinyoung’s voice. He sat up and removed the photo from the wall. He moved closer to Jinyoung and pointed at the photo.

 

“Look,” Daehwi was starting to feel a little tired. “How can that be Woojin? He looks nothing like that other baby in the photo!” Jinyoung scoffed and grabbed the picture from him. He held up in front of them and pointed at it before pointing at Woojin, who was still immersed in his and Jihoon’s fake fight.

 

“I’m not stupid, Daehwi,” Jinyoung said sounding frustrated. “I don’t know why you keep trying to lie about this but are you seriously trying to tell me that this frown looks nothing like the one we’re seeing in front of us right now?” 

 

Rolling his eyes, Daehwi decided to humour the older kid and took a closer look at the photo and then at Woojin. Wait.

 

Daehwi’s heart thumped as his eyes darted back and forth between the photo and Woojin, who was frowning at Jihoon as he launched a flimsy kick. _Impossible_ , he thought. His hands trembled and he could feel Jinyoung giving him a concerned look. “Are you okay? What’s with you?” 

 

The others in the room had fallen silent and were looking at Daehwi with worry. Even Jihoon and Woojin had stopped what they were doing and stared with concern. Daehwi looked at Woojin. He could feel his eyes filling with tears but blinked them back furiously. “H-hyung, Woojin hyung,” He stammered. Woojin let out a light laugh.

 

“What’s up with you? I thought we all agreed to drop honorifics,” He was smiling as he said this but his eyes were still filled with worry. Daehwi swallowed the lump in his throat.

 

“I thought I’d never get to meet you but you were here this whole time,” He said softly. 

 

“Daehwi,” This time Jihoon spoke up. “You’re scaring us. What are you talking about?” Daehwi got to his feet and made his way over to where Woojin and Jihoon were standing. He held out the photo to Woojin with shaky hands.

 

“What’s this?” Woojin asked as he took the photo. Daehwi watched as he frowned over the photo before he saw realisation light up in the other’s eyes. “Wh-What? Th-This doesn’t make sense,” Woojin’s satoori had slipped out and he was stammering now as he looked at Daehwi in shock and confusion.

 

Jihoon took the photo from Woojin and peered at it before gasping loudly. He shot Daehwi and Woojin a scandalised look. “You two are brothers?” 

 

Seonho sat up straighter and nodded sagely. “Yeah, they are! I saw that photo the other day!” He pointed at the picture Jihoon was now holding. “It was nice to see you both getting along in the lake. I hate seeing brothers fighting.”

 

“BROTHERS?” A voice shouted. Every head in the room turned to stare at Samuel who had just stepped out of the bathroom in fresh clothes, a towel wrapped around his head. Samuel gaped at Daehwi and Woojin, his eyes landing on the photo in Jihoon’s hands before piecing together what was going on. His hands flew up to his head in shock.

 

“OH MY GO-”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello again!!!
> 
> i'm literally so shook at how much love this fic has been getting and i'm so so happy that people have enjoyed reading it so far i really hope we don't disappoint you all as we continue this story ❤
> 
> we're trying to update faster but school is hitting us both real hard rn but we'll do our best for all of you wonderful people!!
> 
> sending you all good vibes and love and i hope you enjoyed reading this update!
> 
> (also i'm on twitter [[@taemintys](https://twitter.com/taemintys)] in case anyone wants to scream with me and simultaneously watch me stress tweet through exams ❤)
> 
> \- kwonjis


	4. mildly stinky fish and soulful tunes

 

_ “Jaehwan.” It was just the two of them, sitting on a rocky shore overlooking the sea. Woojin was about eight or nine back then. The sun was setting slowly, filling the sky with a myriad of colors: pink, orange, blue. Youngmin was out having dinner somewhere and Jaehwan had took Woojin to watch the sunset.  _

 

_ “Did you ever feel lonely as an only child?” he asked, and Jaehwan strummed his guitar lightly. _

 

_ Jaehwan hummed a little tune and grabbed the pencil behind his ear, scribbling on his little notebook that had pages and pages full of lyrics and melodies. “Sometimes. I had a couple of hamsters when I was a kid, and they were the highlight of my life back then. They died after a week though, so it was kinda short-lived.” _

 

_ “Why? Are you feeling lonely?” Woojin poked at the ground with a stick. He would be lying if he said no. Youngmin was always trying his best to spend time with him, no matter how hard his work schedule was, but Woojin sometimes felt as though things would be easier if he had an extra someone around. Not just for him, but for Youngmin too. _

 

_ That’s what he had assumed Youngmin also felt when his father began dating other people. None of his relationships lasted long, and every time they ended, Youngmin would sit in his office for a while and stare out the window and play a variety of sad songs over and over again. Jaehwan said it was his way of coping, and Woojin understood that Youngmin just needed another person to lean on. It probably wasn’t easy, being a single father raising a son. _

 

_ Woojin couldn’t help but sometimes wonder if he just wasn’t enough to keep Youngmin happy. _

 

_ “Not really.”  _

 

Woojin stared at the picture in Jihoon’s hands, head still spinning. There was no doubt that the small toddler in the picture was him. There was also no doubt that the other baby in the blanket was Lee Daehwi. He stared at the slightly grainy image of Youngmin, grinning at the camera. It was the happiest smile Woojin had ever seen on his father.

 

His eyes darted to the other man, the one who was holding him. It was Daehwi’s father-no,  _ their  _ father, the one that he had seen dropping Daehwi off. He was handsome, with perfectly aligned teeth and soft features. Woojin’s heart hammered against his chest. 

 

He had been so close. And Woojin hadn't  even known he existed. 

 

A lot of things made sense now, yet at the same time, Woojin felt his mind flooding with questions. Why hadn’t Youngmin ever mentioned a single thing about Woojin having a brother? Why had he not suspected anything? Why had his fathers divorced? They looked so happy in the picture, and Woojin couldn’t fathom how the two of them could have separated.  

 

By this time, Daehwi had collapsed into Jinyoung’s arms, tears threatening to spill out as he stared at Woojin. 

 

All Woojin wanted was to enjoy this performing arts camp, and now he had a brother. When he wanted his summer to be life changing, he most certainly hadn’t meant it in this way. 

 

Guanlin yawned, interrupting the silence that had fallen on their cabin. He stretched his long limbs and sat up, blinking blearily. 

 

“What did I miss…?”

 

Woojin walked forward, tentatively reaching a hand out to Daehwi. The younger boy dodged his hand, breaking free from Jinyoung’s grip as he sprinted out of the room. On the way out, he snatched the photo from Jihoon. 

 

“Daehwi!” Samuel yelled, but his best friend had already disappeared through the doorway.

 

Woojin wasn't sure if he was supposed to chase after him. Youngmin had taught him many things, from making kimbap to wrapping a broken ankle, but he most certainly had not taught Woojin how to deal with meeting a long lost sibling.

 

Jinyoung placed a hand on Woojin’s shoulder. “You should go find him.” 

 

“And say what, exactly?” Woojin was not exactly a fan of emotional confrontations. What if Daehwi was crying? He probably was crying. Woojin internally groaned. 

 

Euiwoong smiled gently from his spot on the bed. “Maybe you don't need to say anything at all.”

 

Woojin felt something soft being thrown against his arm. He caught it and looked down at a familiar tuft of brown fur. Jihoon grinned at him. 

 

With buffalo in hand, Woojin stepped out into the rapidly darkening night. He took about ten steps before he paused and realized that he had no idea where he was going. 

 

Woojin tapped his chin, considering his options. Spotting a nearby cabin, he trudged up the stairs and knocked twice. 

 

“Hey, Hyunmin,” he greeted. “Have you seen Daehwi?” Behind the blond haired boy, Woojin could see a couple of boys doing a strange dance. They were hopping from foot to foot, alternating between spreading their arms and clapping. If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought they were attempting some sort of ritual, and he would’ve liked to stay a while to ask about it, but there were more pressing matters to attend to.

 

The taekwondo student shook his head no, and Woojin thanked him before carrying on his way. He went to the bathrooms and checked each stall, but Daehwi was nowhere to be found. Even in the dining hall there was no sign of him. 

 

Woojin sighed. He was on his way back to his cabin, hoping that perhaps Daehwi had come back, when he spotted the sign pointing to the lake. 

 

_ “...Dad?”  _

 

_ Woojin pushed the door to the master bedroom open, the squeaking of the hinges echoing down the hallway. It was early in the morning, about three or four, and young Woojin had woken up in a cold sweat after having a scary dream.  _

 

_ The window was open, and the white curtains billowed out and rippled with the wind, like waves lapping against the shore. Woojin stumbled to the bed, hoisting himself up onto it. He was about to curl up with his father’s sleeping figure, only there was one problem.  _

 

_ He wasn’t there. _

 

_ The bed was empty, blanket thrown to one side. His phone was still on the bedside table, and nothing looked out of place. Woojin scratched his head, wondering where he could have disappeared to in the middle of the night.  _

 

_ Woojin hopped off the bed, carrying his father’s phone in hand to use as a flashlight because he wasn’t tall enough to reach the light switches just yet. He checked the bathroom, the study, the upstairs lounge, but he was nowhere to be found. All the lights were off, and Woojin no longer felt scared, but worried. He ran downstairs, checking the kitchen and the laundry room. They had a big house, but it was at that moment when Woojin realized just how large it was. _

 

_ “Dad…” he called out, clutching the phone to his chest. He wandered for a bit and ended up in the living room. Woojin spotted the giant calendar hung up on the wall, and checked the date on Youngmin’s phone. September 17th. _

 

_ Looking up at the calendar, Woojin noticed that the 17th was underlined with a red marker. It seemed smudged, as if someone tried to erase it. He scratched his head, but couldn’t think of any special date on that day.  _

 

_ The faint sound of windchimes snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned to see it hanging next to the glass sliding door and realized that the door was ajar. Woojin slid it open, stepping out onto the boardwalk. The cold wind greeted him, and he shivered.  _

 

_ Woojin followed the path down to the beach. It was a starry night, and he tried his best not to trip as he stared up at the twinkling lights. As he got closer to the beach, he spotted a figure sitting in the darkness.  _

 

_ “Dad!” he cried out, running towards him. Youngmin turned his head, surprised to see Woojin. He opened his arms as Woojin barreled into him and started crying into his shirt. _

 

_ “Whoa there kiddo, what's wrong?” He stroked Woojin's hair, patting his back gently. _

 

_ Woojin sniffled and wiped his nose. “I had...a nightmare…” he hiccuped. “And I couldn't...find...you.” _

 

_ Youngmin pulled him closer. “I'm so sorry, Woojin. I didn’t mean to worry you.” They stayed there for a few moments, Woojin sniffling against his father’s pajamas while Youngmin hummed softly. _

 

_ After he calmed down, he looked up at Youngmin. “Why are you here?” he asked. _

 

_ Youngmin was silent, staring off into the dark horizon. The gentle sounds of waves meeting sand were the only thing Woojin could hear. He seemed to be thinking about something important, but Woojin wasn’t sure if he was allowed to ask about it. _

 

_ Youngmin sighed heavily. “It’s nothing. I just...had a hard time sleeping, that’s all.”  _

 

_ “And you came to the beach?” Woojin asked, wide-eyed. Youngmin smiled. _

 

_ “The water calms me.” _

 

_ And so they sat there, sitting and listening to the ocean until the faintest specks of sunlight peeked out over the fishing boats and the night said its goodbyes. The sky grew gradually brighter, and Woojin yawned, slumping against Youngmin’s side. He felt his father pick him up, cradling in his arms as he made his way back home.  _

 

_ The last thing he remembered was the buzzing of Youngmin’s phone in his pocket. _

 

The lake was stunning at night. It was just that afternoon when he was playing with the other boys in the water, but it seemed like a totally different time and space now. The moonlight shone on the water, reflecting off the ripples and filling the scene with an ethereal glow. Fireflies flitted back and forth around the trees. Above, the night sky was clear, and the stars reminded Woojin of home. 

 

He spotted Daehwi sitting on the edge of the dock. He was dangling his legs back and forth, the tips of his feet barely grazing the water. Woojin walked up quietly behind him, trying his best not to make the wood squeak. 

 

“Hey.” he picked Daehwi’s shoes up and moved them to make space to sit. Daehwi was staring straight ahead, and as he sat down Woojin noticed his tear-stained cheeks. 

 

“Hi.”

 

Woojin shifted uncomfortably as a palpable silence settled over them. It was a foreign feeling, Woojin thought, after being so comfortable around the younger boy for a good couple of days. They had sung together, danced together, eaten together, and it hadn’t been weird at all, but suddenly there was this label of Little Brother hanging over Daehwi’s head and Woojin didn’t know what to do with it.

 

He suddenly remembered the buffalo that he was holding and thrust it into Daehwi’s arms, startling him. 

 

Daehwi looked down at the stuffed toy and back to Woojin. “Um...thanks?” He patted its head somewhat hesitantly.

 

Woojin scratched the back of his head, trying to keep the conversation going before they lapsed back into another uncomfortable silence.

“No problem! Think of it as uh…your first hand-me-down! From your big brother.”

Daehwi looked at him with wide eyes, and Woojin mentally slapped himself.  _ Too soon? _

Woojin gestured awkwardly, not knowing what to do with his arms. Oh no. He was becoming just as socially awkward as his father.

“Um! I mean, you don’t need to take it. I get that it’s kinda ugly with the whole chewed ear thing. But...you could sleep with it tonight, if it makes you feel better. Oh, and you don’t need to call me your big brother if you don’t like the idea! But I think I’d make a pretty decent bro though, if I do say so myself. We could have Skype calls every night if you want, but oh…maybe not every night or Dad might get upset. And speaking of dads, how’s your dad like? Or should I say...Dad Number Two? I’ve still been trying to figure out what to call him—“

The words were spilling out faster than Woojin could even process, and Daehwi was now hunched over the buffalo, clutching its paws tightly. Woojin’s heart sank as he watched Daehwi’s body start to shake. He was crying. Oh no, Woojin had made him cry again. 

He was about to place a hand on Daehwi’s back when the boy suddenly rocked backwards, collapsing on the floor with a loud gasp. There were tears streaming down his face, but the sound that filled the night was not of a cry.

It was a laugh, one that was loud but strangely delicate, and Woojin watched as Daehwi held a hand up to his mouth, trying to stifle the giggles that escaped him. After a couple of moments of wheezing, Daehwi sat up and he threw himself at Woojin, wrapping his arms around his neck in a crushing hug. Woojin barely had time to brace himself, and they almost toppled into the water.

“I’m so glad…” Daehwi hiccupped, “That I found you.” Woojin felt the fabric on his shoulder dampening with Daehwi’s tears. 

 

They stayed like that, locked in an embrace for who knows how long. It was somewhere in that time when realization fell upon Woojin and hit him with a force of a thousand bricks. In that moment, he realized that now he had a whole new family. That it wasn’t just him, and Jaehwan, and Youngmin anymore. He had another father. And a brother. An overly extra, incredibly loud, talented, kind-hearted little brother. 

 

Woojin blinked, and suddenly his vision was blurry. Hurriedly, he rubbed at his eyes, surprised to feel his fingers wet with tears. Daehwi pulled away, smiling. “We have so much to catch up on.”

 

Woojin grinned. “Yeah, we do.”

 

******************

 

“Sorry about running off on you like that, by the way.” The both of them had relocated to a more elevated spot under a large tree, where they lay with their heads resting on their arms as they stared up at the stars. Woojin’s buffalo was tucked in the gap between them.

 

Woojin chuckled. “That’s okay. It was a perfectly logical thing to do in that situation.”

 

Daehwi shifted a little bit. “It’s just…I’ve  _ always _ wanted to have another sibling. Ever since I was a kid. Last week...my uncle Sewoon gave me a photo that Dad--Donghyun, kept in a locked drawer. It was the first time I found out that I had a brother. I had no idea I was going to meet you so soon.”

 

_ Donghyun _ . It was a nice name. 

 

Woojin looked over at Daehwi. “I hope I’m living up to expectations.”

 

Daehwi pondered for a moment, and sighed. “Not really. I was hoping for a sister, but I guess I could play dress-up with you too.”

 

“Yah.” Woojin elbowed him, and Daehwi started giggling again.

 

After he had successfully scooted away from Woojin’s elbow, Daehwi propped himself up with his arm. “How about you? Did you never think about having a sibling?”

 

Woojin removed his arms from under his head, choosing to rest his head directly on the ground. The blades of grass tickled the skin of his nape.

 

“Of course I’ve thought about having a sibling, but I never thought about it much. Jaehwan’s always around so he’s practically an older brother to me.” It was true. Whenever Youngmin wasn’t around, Jaehwan would take care of the chores and play games with Woojin. He was unemployed otherwise, making most of his money from busking on the streets and doing odd jobs.

 

“But Dad--Youngmin, I mean. He never told me about our life back in Seoul. I was barely two when we moved so I never could never recall anything.” 

 

Daehwi picked up the buffalo and sat it on his lap. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something. 

 

“Woojin,” He fiddled with the little hooves of the buffalo. “What kind of person is Youngmin?”

 

Woojin scratched his chin. What kind of person  _ was _ Youngmin? 

 

“Well,” he began. “He's like...a grandpa, really. He complains a lot and cracks his back all the time. He has a lot of lame jokes to tell and he's a bit awkward, but he's one of the sweetest guys I've ever known. Dad’s really hardworking too. He takes care of the farm and does all the chores and...I think I'm pretty lucky to have him around.”

 

He hadn't been thinking about Youngmin throughout the camp as much as he had expected to. There was a sudden ache in his heart. 

 

“A farm??” Daehwi looked excited. 

 

“Yep! Our family has a fish farm.” At the mention of fish, Daehwi deflated. 

 

“...Oh. So no cows and sheep and all that jazz?” 

 

Woojin laughed at the thought of Youngmin milking a cow. “Nope. Just lots of mildly stinky fish and soulful tunes from Jaehwan.” 

 

Daehwi leaned back onto the grass. “That sounds nice,” he sighed. Woojin was about to ask about his other father when Daehwi started firing away.

 

“I always imagined Busan to be really chill. Life in Seoul is really hectic all the time, y’know. Dad’s always out all the time, being the big fashion designer he is, so I'm usually alone at home. Did you know, a celebrity wore one of his designs to the recent Seoul Fashion Week?”

 

Woojin shook his head, not having any clue about anything fashion-related. He didn't even know that there were specific types of pants until recently. 

 

“When I was younger, I used to complain a lot to him. ‘Hey dad, why don’t you spend more time with me?’ you know, things like that. I feel bad about it now, of course. He works really hard for his dreams, so I can’t blame him. Dad...he’s charming and a little dumb, but he always puts a hundred and one percent into everything he does, and I love that about him.” 

 

Somehow, that last description made Woojin think about Daehwi himself.

 

Woojin could practically see the stars in Daehwi’s eyes as he talked about Donghyun and it made him wonder just how amazing his other father was. Would Donghyun even like him? Would he even  _ want _ to see him?

 

Suddenly, they heard a deep rumble, breaking the comfortable atmosphere around the two brothers. Daehwi gasped and huddled close to Woojin, grabbing his arm. His nails dug into his skin as he looked around frantically. 

 

“Hyung! Did you hear that?” Woojin felt like if he didn't do something about Daehwi’s nails, his arm might end up bleeding.

 

“Relax, Daehw-"

 

“What if it's a bear? I'm too young to die, Woojin. I never even got to write my will yet. I still have to meet Youngmin-"

 

Woojin grabbed Daehwi’s shoulders. “Daehwi. Chill. It's my stomach.” 

 

His stomach rumbled again, and Daehwi sighed in relief. They had been lying by the lake for so long that they had completely forgotten about dinner. Daehwi stood and extended a hand to Woojin. 

Before he could take it, however, Samuel materialized out of nowhere and pounced on Daehwi, who let out a supersonic screech. 

 

“Sam! Get off of me!” They toppled onto the ground, and Daehwi attempted to strangle him, but Samuel was clearly stronger than he was so his efforts were pretty useless. As they wrestled, Jihoon and Jinyoung settled down next to Woojin.

 

“You guys all good now?” Jihoon asked. 

 

Woojin nodded. Jinyoung, who was holding two covered plates, handed one to Woojin. 

 

“We weren't sure if you guys were fighting or not, but we brought you dinner just in case. Seonho nearly ate it on our way here, but Euiwoong managed to restrain him.”

 

Woojin took the plate and uncovered it to see a haphazard pile of mashed potatoes, ddeokbokki, and fried chicken.

 

“Wow guys…” he looked up at them and smiled. “Thank you.”

 

“It took a bit of convincing, but Guanlin got Dongho to give us extra food,” said Justin.

 

Daehwi, who had stopped trying to attack his best friend, came over to grab his plate. “What if we were fighting? What were you planning on doing with the food?”

 

“Eat it,” answered Hyungseob and Seonho simultaneously. Woojin laughed. At least they were honest. 

 

Samuel took his phone out and began blasting music, motioning for them to get up and dance. As Woojin dug into his dinner and looked around at his friends, he never felt more lucky in his life to have met such great people. 

 

\----------

 

“It's a nice night tonight, isn't it?” Jonghyun commented, linking arms with the taller man beside him.

 

Minhyun looked up at the stars and back at Jonghyun, humming in agreement. 

 

They chatted for a bit, talking about how their day went, when Minhyun tensed up and halted in his step.

 

Jonghyun glanced over. “Something wrong?”

 

Minhyun pointed to a group of boys by the lake. They were dancing and laughing, just having a good time. Jonghyun spotted two of them sitting under a tree and eating, and recognized them as Woojin and Daehwi. 

 

Minhyun muttered something under his breath about kids staying up past their bedtimes and skipping dinner and was about to stomp over when Jonghyun grabbed his arm. 

 

“Don't,” he whispered. They were kids, after all. “Let them be.”

 

Minhyun stared into Jonghyun’s eyes, gaze softening after a few seconds. Memories of their youth, swimming at the beach, dance parties with their college roommates, flashed through Jonghyun’s mind. 

 

Minhyun smiled softly. “Okay.”

 

They turned and walked away, listening to the light sounds of bubbly laughter and music as it faded into the night breeze. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaand we're back! firstly i'd like to say thank you to all that wished us well for exams (kwonjis is free for now but my suffering begins tomorrow) and also for all of you out there who are giving this fic so much love.
> 
> there was a scene in this chapter that i had major writer's block on so i literally had to re-write it like four times, which is why this update took a little longer than usual (but i think this is our longest chapter yet so there you go).
> 
> every time we see someone screeching about this on twitter i get so excited honestly i didn't expect this fic to be doing that well. thank you guys for supporting us!! 
> 
> \- hoeunki


	5. not the only one

Following ‘The Big Reveal’, as Samuel affectionately dubbed it, Daehwi and Woojin became closer than ever. There was never a moment where they were apart, except for when they were attending their different workshops and activities.

 

Whenever they had the time, the two boys would huddle together with their phones and show each other pictures and tell stories about the fathers they had never met.

 

Daehwi would tell him stories of how Donghyun had raised him. About how Donghyun would always tuck him in at night and tell him bedtime stories. How Donghyun used to let little Daehwi come with him to work and pretend to sketch like he did. 

 

_ “Daehwi?” _

 

_ At the sound of Donghyun’s voice, Daehwi immediately shoved his drawing behind his back. He smiled up innocently at his father. Donghyun, however, wasn’t fooled and crouched down in front of his son with a soft smile on his face. _

 

_ “What have you got there?” He asked kindly. Six year old Daehwi hummed, clearly contemplating about whether or not to show his drawing before slowly moving his hands from behind his back. He held it out to Donghyun with a toothy grin. _

 

_ “I drew something for you!” He said happily. Donghyun took the slightly crumpled paper from Daewhi and ruffled his hair affectionately. He smoothed out the paper and looked at the drawing. _

 

_ “Is this our family?” Daehwi nodded enthusiastically. “You even drew in Sewoon, that’s really sweet of you!”  _

 

_ “Nuh, uh,” Daehwi shook his head. “See, this one’s you,” He pointed at the taller of the three figures. “This one’s me,” The shorter figure. “And this one’s my future brother!” Daehwi was too excited about pointing to the other figure in his drawing and completely missed the pained expression that graced Donghyun’s face for a moment. _

 

_ “Do you think one day I could have a little brother?” Daehwi asked, eyes shining with hope. Donghyun was quiet for a moment before smiling a little at his son. _

 

_ “Does this mean you’re ready to share your room with someone else?” He teased. Daehwi gasped and shook his head. _

 

_ “No!”  _

 

_ Donghyun laughed and kissed the top of Daehwi’s head gently. “You’re already quite the handful, I don’t think I’m ready for another kid just yet.” He said.  _

 

_ Pulling away from Daehwi, Donghyun began folding up the drawing. But as he did so, he noticed that the back of the drawing seemed to be covered in lines and lines of words. He unfolded it and scanned the back of the paper. _

 

_ A slightly hysterical laugh bubbled out of him and he looked at his son, who was now scribbling all over another piece of paper. “Daehwi, where did you get these papers?” He asked, amused. Daehwi didn’t look up from his drawing but pointed to Donghyun’s desk. _

 

_ Shaking his head, Donghyun ruffled Daehwi’s hair before standing up and returning to his desk. He stowed Daehwi’s drawing away safely in a folder filled with countless of other drawings before reaching for his phone. _

 

_ “Sewoon, could you please print out another copy of the modelling contract for Kwon Hyunbin?” _

 

Daehwi would rattle on endlessly about Donghyun and Woojin, in turn, did the same about Youngmin. Daehwi tried hard to imagine what Youngmin would be like. He finally settled on Youngmin as being something more of a maternal figure between him and Donghyun. 

 

After all, Donghyun was never really the nagging type.

 

Youngmin, it seemed, fretted a lot over Woojin. While Donghyun usually only stepped in when Daehwi asked for his help or advice and generally had a happy-go-lucky outlook on things, Youngmin tended to hover around and fussed over every little detail. A helicopter, as Woojin affectionately said. “Did you bring your lunch money? Honey, your laces are untied!” Woojin had mimicked fondly. “I don’t think I’ve ever told him this but honestly? I couldn’t imagine my life any other way.”

 

Although Daehwi cherished these moments with Woojin, he felt a slight pang in his chest whenever he imagined what it would have been like if he had grown up knowing Woojin.

 

What would it be like getting fussed over by Youngmin too? What would it be like to hear Youngmin laugh and to see him dancing funnily? 

 

What would it be like to see Donghyun and Youngmin in love?

 

“What are you gonna do when camp ends? Are you and Woojin gonna plan on meeting up again after? What about your dad?” Samuel asked, worried.

 

It was the second last night of the camp. Everyone was scattered around camp practicing their parts for tomorrow’s closing showcase. Daehwi and Samuel were taking a break inside their cabin. Outside, they could hear Woojin going over the choreo with Justin and Guanlin.

 

Daehwi plucked at nonexistent lint on his blanket. He wasn’t sure how to answer that question. Hell, both he and Woojin had been avoiding this topic. Suddenly finding your brother who lived on the other end of the country in a summer camp? It sounded like something straight out of those feel-good family movies Donghyun would always insist on watching during movie nights.

 

“We… Haven’t really talked about it,” Daehwi said slowly. 

 

Samuel could tell that his best friend had more on his mind, words that he wanted to say but wasn’t sure how. With a sigh, he plopped himself down on Daehwi’s bed. “Okay, speak. I know you’ve got something on your mind because you’re doing that thing where you start randomly picking at things and not looking me in the eyes.”

 

Guiltily, Daehwi looked at Samuel. He let out a weird half-sigh half-scream and threw himself face-first into his pillow. After a moment, he sat back up again. He couldn’t help but fiddle with the blanket again.

 

“It’s just… Suddenly it feels like everything I ever wanted is right in front of me, you know? Woojin and Youngmin… All those times I wished for a brother and it finally came true! But at the same time… What if our family was never meant to happen in the first place? Like they probably split up for a good reason so what if making everyone meet again is just going to make things worse? What if Youngmin actually ends up hating me if we ever meet? What if dad hates Woojin? What if Woojin and I never get to see each other again after this? Am I just supposed to pretend that this whole camp was just a dream? That it never happened?”

 

As the words tumbled out of his mouth, Daehwi felt close to bursting into tears again. The reason he hadn’t brought all this up with Woojin yet was because he was worried that maybe Woojin was content with his family just being him and Youngmin. 

 

Maybe Woojin didn’t want anything to change.

 

“Daehwi,” Samuel shifted closer, patting the other boy on the knee reassuringly. “This is exactly why you  _ have _ to talk to Woojin. You can’t just assume you know what he’s thinking. Maybe he’s just as worried and scared as you are.”

 

Daehwi sniffled. From the moment they met, Woojin had seemed to be always so strong and so sure of himself. To Daehwi and the others, he was someone they could rely on and depend on. Not once did he show himself struggling. 

 

But then again, Woojin  _ was _ just still a kid too. Never mind that he was (slightly) older and wiser (at times). Samuel was right. Woojin was probably struggling with his own worries. Daehwi felt another pang of guilt for not being more considerate of the other boy’s feelings.

 

“You’re probably right,” Daehwi said, after a long while. Samuel grinned.

 

“When am I not?”

 

The two best friends hugged each other tightly. 

 

“Thanks, Sam.”

  
  


*****

 

“Let’s go to the lake!”

 

“You’re not gonna cry again, are you?”

 

Daehwi fake pouted and tugged at Woojin’s arm more insistently.

 

It was past midnight already. The rest of their little gang were already inside the cabin and Daehwi could hear faint music playing again (courtesy of Guanlin most likely). Woojin had been on his way back from practicing in the dance cabin when Daehwi popped up and grabbed him (read: accosted him). 

 

“Okay seriously,” Woojin said, after the two of them settled down under a tree by the lake. “What are we doing here?” 

 

Daehwi had no idea how to breach the topic. He was silent for a bit, growing more and more nervous under Woojin’s curious gaze. He unconsciously started plucking at the grass patch next to him in his distress.

 

“Hyung,” Daehwi finally broke the silence. “What do you think about Donghyun and Youngmin meeting again?” He looked at Woojin’s face, worried about the reaction the older boy would give.

 

“Meet again?” Woojin asked slowly. 

 

The silence that fell between them was palpable. Woojin’s face was unreadable and Daehwi felt his chest grow tight. His hands trembled slightly and he clenched his fists into his shirt, fighting back the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. 

 

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t ha-”

 

“I don’t think it’s a bad idea,” Woojin said softly, interrupting Daehwi’s outburst. Daehwi blinked at Woojin, letting his words sink in.

 

“What?” 

 

Woojin shrugged and leaned back against the tree, staring out onto the lake. “You know, Youngmin’s dated a lot of people since Donghyun.” He said. Daehwi swallowed a lump in his throat.  _ Ah, so Youngmin must’ve moved on. _

 

“But none of his boyfriends lasted very long. All this time I thought it was because he had terrible taste in men and dated psychos,” Daehwi couldn’t help but laugh at this. “But I’ve been thinking about this for the last few days and… What if he hasn’t really moved on from Donghyun? Like maybe they need closure or something?”

 

“What if what they both need is our family together again?” Daehwi asked, his heart pounding against his chest rapidly. “No, listen to me,” He said, interrupting Woojin who looked like he was about to say something back. “Donghyun hasn’t dated anyone for as long as I could remember. I would bet all of my Rihanna merch that he hasn’t dated anyone since Youngmin. And I don’t know Youngmin at all but from what you said maybe he can’t bring himself to settle with anyone else just yet. Maybe he still misses Donghyun.”

 

“Daehwi,” Woojin started again but Daehwi kept going, not wanting to lose his momentum.

 

“All I ever wanted was another sibling. And now I’ve got you  _ and _ Youngmin. I don’t want to lose you both again. If there’s a chance for our family to be whole again then I’m going to do everything I can to make it happen.” 

 

When Daehwi finished his little tirade, he found that he had tears in his eyes once again. He felt embarrassed and turned away from Woojin, rubbing the tears away stubbornly.

 

“So what’s the plan then?”

 

Daehwi nearly gave himself whiplash as he turned back to face Woojin. The older boy was looking at him, determination in his eyes. “What’s your big picture, Daehwi?” 

 

“You… You’re up for this?” Daehwi stammered, equal parts relieved and surprised by how well the older boy seemed to be taking this situation.

 

“You’re not the only one who’s been lonely,” Woojin admitted softly. The small smile he gave Daehwi made the younger’s heart soften and he couldn’t help but launch himself at Woojin, tackling him in an embrace.

 

“Alright,” Daehwi said after pulling away from Woojin. “The plan right now is getting Donghyun and Youngmin to meet but I don’t know how I’m gonna get Donghyun to go to Busan. Or Youngmin to Seoul.”

 

They pondered silently for a minute. Then, Woojin suddenly gave Daehwi a look, grinning widely.

 

“I’ve got an idea…” 

 

*****

 

“Don’t forget to text me!” Daehwi pouted, clinging onto Woojin tightly. “And don’t forget that you’re playing one of the most important roles in this scheme.”

 

Woojin rolled his eyes but hugged Daehwi back. “Don’t worry, I know exactly how to con my old man.” He grinned at Daehwi as they pulled apart from each other. 

 

As Daehwi was closing the door of their cabin, he paused and looked at the room one more time. The beds had been stripped off their beddings, which were left in a neat pile in one corner. He could still see the leftover tape from where he had stuck up his family picture. The bin was still overflowing with wrappers of the snacks they had devoured just last night.

 

Daehwi could still see the scene so vividly in his head. 

 

With a heavy heart he closed the door and followed Woojin down to the front lawn of the campgrounds. It was just as busy as the day they arrived, with parents arriving to pick up their children and shuttle buses waiting to send the rest of the children home.

 

Upon approaching Hyungseob and the rest of the gang near one of the buses, Daehwi and Woojin were quickly enveloped in a messy group hug. Daehwi wanted to laugh and cry after hearing Hyungseob sniffling loudly in his ear about how they should all meet up again next summer. 

 

“Don’t cry,” Guanlin said, as Euiwoong pried a tearful Hyungseob off of Daehwi. The Taiwanese boy hugged Hyungseob who began to lament about how the camp should have been longer.

 

Daehwi looked around and found Jihoon and Woojin chattering together. Woojin had a mischievous look in his eyes as he leaned in, aiming for the other’s cheek. Jihoon immediately pulled away, cheeks flushing red as he pushed Woojin weakly.  _ Cute,  _ Daehwi thought as he turned away.

 

“Hey,” Jinyoung said, smiling at him. Daehwi smiled back, shuffling closer to the older boy. Jinyoung was holding out his phone to him. “Text me if you ever wanna meet up. I live just outside of Itaewon.”

 

The two exchanged numbers before hugging briefly. 

 

When they pulled apart, Woojin was standing nearby. He was looking at Daehwi expectantly, rocking back and forth on his heels. “So, Jaehwan’s here already,” He said, jerking his head to the direction of where Daniel was standing. The man he was talking to was probably Jaehwan, the man that Woojin had said was like an uncle to him. “I guess I’ll be seeing you soon then?”

 

“Of course,” Daehwi said, suddenly feeling choked up. Woojin grinned at him before reaching for his suitcase handle. 

 

“Bye, lil brother.” 

 

Daehwi watched as Woojin walked away, suitcase in tow. From where he was standing, he saw Jaehwan pulling a struggling Woojin into a big hug before letting out a wild laugh that even Daehwi could hear.

 

After bidding farewell to everyone else and watching them scamper off either to the shuttle buses or to their waiting parents, Daehwi started searching for his own father amidst the crowd.

 

“Daehwi! Daehwi! I’m here!” 

 

Donghyun’s voice was a welcoming sound and Daehwi ran over to his father after spotting him next to his car. He threw himself into Donghyun’s arms, holding on tightly. “Whoa, there.” Donghyun said, hugging Daehwi back just as tightly. 

 

“I missed you so much, dad.” Daehwi said, voice muffled against Donghyun’s chest.

 

Donghyun chuckled and ruffled Daehwi’s hair affectionately before pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “I missed you too.”

 

As they drove away from the camp Donghyun asked, “So did you make a lot of new friends?”

 

Daehwi nodded, grinning widely as he thought of Hyungseob, Guanlin, Justin, and everyone else.

 

And Woojin.

 

“Oh dad, you have no idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please don't hate me for the long update :(
> 
> i want to apologise for the extremely long wait, i didn't expect to get super busy after exams i had an exchange trip for a week and then my schedule became super hectic after i came back and there were just so many things happening
> 
> but i'm glad to have been able to finally update (hoeunki nagged me until i finished this chapter xoxo) and i hope you all enjoyed this!! i had a difficult time writing the woojin daehwi scene by the lake but i hope it managed to pull it off 
> 
> thank you for the love and support, we both appreciate it so much! i wish you all happy holidays and i hope you all stay safe and take care!
> 
> -kwonjis


	6. chug some bleach

Woojin rolled the windows down, feeling the summer breeze against his fingertips. Beside him, Jaehwan scrunched his nose up at the heady smell of gasoline that filtered into the car. They were on their way to the train station, and Woojin was already missing the other kids. Hyungseob’s blabbering, Guanlin’s endless blasting of rap music, Jihoon’s snarky comments...and of course, Daehwi, with his bubbly energy. It was still pretty wild, the idea of him having a brother. Woojin glanced at Jaehwan and wondered just how much he was hiding too.

 

Suddenly, someone shouted “Woojin!” out of nowhere, and Woojin almost got a neck cramp turning back to see a bus speeding past them. Seonho was leaning out the window, sitting next to a very amused looking Jinyoung. Woojin leaned out the car and waved back at them as the bus disappeared slowly ahead of them.

 

“You seem to have had a lot of fun at the camp, huh?” Woojin smiled at the feeling of the older man’s elbow nudging into his side. He swatted at him and Jaehwan cackled. 

 

“No really,” Jaehwan said. “You seem happier. It’s good.” 

 

Woojin grinned. “Well, I had a really awesome time. Which was kinda weird, because I wasn’t expecting much to happen. But the guys there were pretty cool.” He proceeded to go off on a tangent, telling Jaehwan all about the camp, from the quirky camp counsellors to the details of their sleepovers and all the stuff he learned about from their workshops. Jaehwan sat back with a fond smile, listening all the while (for once). 

 

“...and the cabins were nice. No bugs, so I didn’t have to worry about them crawling into my mouth at night like Dad warned me about. Daehwi though, he was so paranoid because he was on one of the bottom bunks.”

 

Jaehwan hummed. “Who’s Daehwi?” 

 

“Oh, he’s my bro-” he caught himself before he said anything more. Jaehwan didn’t seem to recognize the name. Perhaps Youngmin never told him about the other half of their family? But it was impossible, Woojin thought. They’ve been friends for so long, so Youngmin must’ve told Jaehwan at some point. Or maybe he hadn’t mentioned any names. Woojin considered telling Jaehwan about his big discovery, but then again he was a massive blabbermouth and he couldn’t really risk Youngmin finding out about the Big Plan™.

 

_ “I’ve got an idea,” Woojin said, rubbing his hands together devilishly. _

 

_ Daehwi eyed him skeptically, but gestured for him to continue. “Go on, then.” _

 

_ “After one of the dance workshops, Daniel came up to me to talk.” The Busan native had sat Woojin down and told him about the opening of a performing arts academy in Seoul, and had suggested he come stop by during the open house in a few weeks. “He said I had a lot of potential,” Woojin recounted, beaming.  _

 

_ Daehwi tapped his chin, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “So…?” _

 

_ “So, what if I could convince Youngmin to bring me along to the open house? You could bring Donghyun, and~”  _

 

_ Daehwi screeched, leaping to his feet and grabbing Woojin’s hands. “And then they’ll both be in Seoul, and then they’ll meet and fall in love again!” He spun Woojin around in delight. _

 

_ Woojin grabbed his shoulders. “Whoa, Daehwi,” he chuckled. “Don’t jump to conclusions too fast. It’s a vague idea at this point, but I’m hoping maybe we’ll come up with something more concrete?” he ended it like a question, unsure if Youngmin would even agree to going to Seoul. It would take a lot of convincing and some extra chores thrown in to even get his dad to even think about buying tickets there. _

 

_ Daehwi hugged him, burying his face into Woojin’s shoulder. “Thank you, hyung. Thank you so, so much.” _

 

Jaehwan raised an eyebrow and Woojin coughed, trying to make it sound discreet. 

 

“He’s just another one of my bro friends. Yeah. That’s what they all call each other, apparently. In Seoul. Bros.” Woojin internally winced at his awkward answer. 

 

Jaehwan stared at him for a couple of seconds, and Woojin resisted the urge to gulp. He sighed in relief as Jaehwan eventually shrugged and busied himself with his phone.

 

“That’s a bit tacky sounding, but oh well. Kids these days,” Jaehwan added under his breath.  

 

*****

The train back home filled Woojin with a strange giddiness that he hadn’t felt before. As the bustling streets of Seoul gave way to lush fields and mountains, Woojin thought of Youngmin and wondered if he was doing well. Did he miss him a lot, too?

 

Woojin’s mind flashed back to that first night by the lake, when he had told Daehwi about his life in Busan and the bright wonder that had filled his brother’s eyes. Busan wasn’t the perfect countryside, but it differed greatly from Seoul in its more laidback lifestyle and pretty beaches. He was sure that Daehwi would love it. Maybe, just maybe, he’d be able to bring Daehwi to Busan someday. And Donghyun. That would be nice. 

 

An image of all four of them, laughing and playing by the beach, swam up from a corner of Woojin’s mind. He quickly shook the idea from his head. He couldn’t afford to be  _ too  _ hopeful, after all. 

 

The views slowly became more and more familiar, and Woojin shifted in his seat, swinging his legs in growing anticipation. As the train pulled up to its stop, Woojin poked Jaehwan, who had his earphones in and was snoring the whole time. Jaehwan sat up in a frenzy, wielding his half eaten bun in his hand. 

 

“Whazz happenin’?”

 

Woojin giggled, hopping off his seat and pulling his suitcase in tow. “Let’s go, you idiot.”

 

*****

 

“Is Dad home?” Woojin asked, as he stared up at the slightly tinted windows of their house. The structure had been built on a small hill, and Woojin watched as the colorful pinwheel by his window spun with the wind.

 

Jaehwan shrugged. “Dunno. He should be, though. Yesterday he was really excited for your arrival.” He turned to Woojin. “So you have to be quiet, okay? He doesn’t know exactly when you’re coming. It’s a surprise.”

 

Woojin nodded. “I guess we need to tape your mouth shut, then.” He laughed loudly as Jaehwan hit his shoulder.

 

“Brat. I should’ve left you in Seoul.”

 

They trudged up the pathway, Woojin having to carry his suitcase in his arms so that its wheels didn’t drag along the ground. Jaehwan searched his pockets for a moment before finding the key. 

 

“Do you wanna do the honors?” he whispered, handing Woojin the key. The metal was cold against his palm, and Woojin slipped it in, turning the lock with utmost care. He winced at the loud click, and Jaehwan sucked in a breath. When nothing happened, Woojin pushed the door open slowly, peeking through into the entryway. 

 

Luckily, no-one was there. He sighed in relief and opened the door wider, gesturing for Jaehwan to leave the suitcase by the entrance and follow him in. They tiptoed through their small foyer and into the living room, but was surprised to see no Youngmin yet.

 

“Maybe he’s in the bathroom? I’ll go check,” Jaehwan offered. 

 

Woojin nodded. “Cool. I’ll head towards the laundry room and the kitchen.”

 

They exchanged a little fist bump before splitting up. Woojin pressed his ear against the laundry room door and tentatively pushed it open. He popped his head in, but there was nothing except the soft whirring of their washing machine. 

 

Woojin continued down the hallway, but as he approached the kitchen, he began to hear strange noises. Woojin frowned. As he listened carefully, he realized that there were two separate voices, accompanied with sounds that sounded vaguely disturbing.

 

“Dad…?” he said softly. The noises didn’t stop, so Woojin figured he wasn’t heard. He grabbed a ruler that was lying on the hallway table and gripped it tight, ready to attack whoever or whatever was in the kitchen. As he rounded the corner, he prepared himself for a potential fistfight, but the sight that greeted him had his arms falling uselessly to his sides. There was no monster, no rabid animal that was mauling his father. 

 

In fact, his father was perfectly fine. He had most of his back to Woojin, and hadn’t noticed his presence, for all his attention was invested in the other man sitting on the kitchen counter, whose legs were wrapped around Youngmin’s waist.

 

And, never having walked in on anyone in his life, much less his father, Woojin did the only thing that any rational teenager would do.

 

He screamed.

 

The ruler clattered onto the floor and Jaehwan popped up beside him, instantly grabbing hold of his hand. He was about to ask what was wrong when he spotted Youngmin and began screeching too. Youngmin detached himself from the other man at lightning speed, zipping his pants up before wiping his mouth as he turned to Woojin and Jaehwan.

 

“Woojin!” he gasped, his face burning an intense shade of red that matched his hair. “I-I didn’t know y-you’d be back so soon.” He couldn’t bring himself to look directly into Woojin’s eyes, and instead glanced around the kitchen nervously.

 

The other man, who Woojin had never seen before in his life, hopped down from the kitchen counter and didn’t bother to button his shirt up before he wrapped an arm around Youngmin’s waist.

 

Jaehwan gagged. “Time to chug some bleach.”

 

Woojin watched in horror as the shorter man reached up and brought Youngmin’s face down for a nauseatingly wet sounding kiss. Woojin leaned over to Jaehwan.

 

“Save some for me.”

 

“Is this your son,  _ babe _ ?” The brown haired guy asked, grinning at him, and Woojin decided instantly that he didn’t like this other man. “I didn’t think I’d meet him so soon. He’s adorable!”

 

Youngmin was frozen. He hadn’t moved an inch, and the expression on his face told Woojin that he was probably contemplating jumping into the ocean and drowning himself. He was never good at handling much embarrassment.

 

“H-hey, Jaehwan?” Youngmin stuttered eventually. “Why don’t you and Haknyeon go outside for a bit? I...have to talk to Woojin.”

 

Jaehwan rolled his eyes and walked away. Hakyeon, or Haknyeon or whatever his name was, smiled again at Youngmin before squeezing his butt and following Jaehwan out. Youngmin let out a small yelp, and the blush on his cheeks darkened, if it were even possible. He lowered his head, suddenly finding his shoes very interesting. 

 

An awkward silence settled upon them. It was strange and uncomfortable, and Woojin decided that he had to do something first, or Youngmin would end up dying of embarrassment. 

 

“Dad…” Woojin chuckled awkwardly. He shuffled closer towards Youngmin, hesitantly wrapping his arms around his torso for a hug. He felt Youngmin relax, his muscles easing into the hug as he returned it. Youngmin ruffled Woojin’s hair. 

 

“I'm glad you're home, kiddo.”

 

Woojin inhaled, breathing in the comfortable, familiar scent of Youngmin's detergent. He caught a whiff of something that he didn't recognize but forced it out of his thoughts. For now, it was time for just the both of them. 

 

“I missed you,” he mumbled. 

 

Youngmin squeezed him tighter. “I missed you too.” He pulled back after a few moments, and looked into Woojin’s eyes. There was a nervousness in Youngmin’s eyes, and he hesitated before speaking again, as if he was trying to choose his words carefully or he wasn’t sure what to say next.

 

“Uh...about Haknyeon…”

 

Woojin waved him off. “It’s fine, Dad. We can talk about it later.”

 

Youngmin eyed his son for a second and pursed his lips. It seemed like he wanted to say more, but he just sighed lightly and thankfully let it slide. He suddenly gasped, and ran over to the oven, which had started to beep.

 

“The cookies!” he exclaimed, opening the oven. He attempted to grab the tray, but not before he put gloves on first. Youngmin hissed at the heat and Woojin rolled his eyes, opening the freezer to get a packet of ice. He tossed it at his father, who caught it and smiled sheepishly.

 

Woojin slipped on the gloves and took the cookies out, setting them on the kitchen island. “You baked these?” Youngmin hardly ever baked, which was evident by the uneven shapes. Some of them were burnt at the edges, others stuck together. 

 

Youngmin laughed. “Yeah. They were supposed to be a welcome back surprise.”

 

“I think the kid has had enough of your surprises for one day,” interrupted Jaehwan’s voice. He was at the fridge, pouring himself a glass of juice. He left the kitchen before Youngmin could scold him. 

 

Woojin snickered, picking up one of the slightly burnt cookies. He blew on it before taking a small bite. It was warm, and although not completely perfect, it was a pretty commendable effort from his father. 

 

Youngmin looked at him expectantly, and Woojin gave him a small nod. His father sighed in relief.

 

“Wanna take these to the backyard?” 

 

*****

 

Woojin’s favorite spot in their backyard was a little swinging bench that was nestled between a pair of small trees. It used to be a perfect fit for him and his dad when he was younger, but now they were slightly more cramped, their bodies pressed against each other. The tray of cookies sat on Youngmin’s lap as they swung. 

 

Woojin told Youngmin all about the camp counsellors in detail, about unexpectedly cute Dongho and playful Minki. He told Youngmin about Minhyun, with his naggy nature but good intentions and Jonghyun, who had a heart of gold and loved all the kids as if they were his own children. They laughed together as Woojin told Youngmin about the pranks that he and Jihoon played on Seongwoo and Daniel, and Woojin was mildly surprised that his father didn’t get the slightest bit angry.

 

Everytime he almost mentioned Daehwi, he steeled himself and quickly slipped someone else’s name in, like Samuel or Jinyoung. Woojin then remembered the plan to get Youngmin to Seoul, and took a big bite of a cookie before he launched into action. 

 

“Oh yeah,” Woojin said, as nonchalantly as possible, “Daniel was talking to me about this performing ar-”

 

“Youngmin? Darling?” Haknyeon’s voice interrupted his sentence, and Woojin scowled as Youngmin sprung to his feet. Said boyfriend rounded the corner, and beamed as he spotted Youngmin. Woojin watched as Haknyeon stepped closer to Youngmin, how he snaked his arms around his father’s neck and kissed him. It sent an unpleasant feeling down his spine. 

 

“What is it?” Youngmin asked. Haknyeon pouted at him. 

 

“We have a dinner reservation for two tonight, remember?” He giggled at the blank look on Youngmin’s face. “I knew you’d forget. It’s at eight, so we should get ready now.” Haknyeon released his hold on Youngmin and started on his way back to the house.

 

Woojin picked at a chocolate chip on his cookie. “Woojin-” his father began.

 

“Dad, it’s okay. Don’t apologize.” He looked up at Youngmin and forced a smile. “Go...have fun on your dinner date.”

 

Youngmin bit his lip. He was feeling sorry, and Woojin knew it, but he didn’t think he had the right to keep Youngmin from being happy. Maybe Haknyeon was different from all his past relationships. Woojin patted his dad on the arm and gave him a small push.

 

“It’s fine,” Woojin said, but he wasn’t so sure who he was reassuring. 

 

*****

 

He ended up eating dinner with Jaehwan on the roof next to his bedroom balcony. Jaehwan had ordered some jokbal and jjamppong, and they sat with the bowls in their laps, legs dangling off the side of the roof. Woojin would sometimes do his homework here, or listen to music, but it would never last long as Youngmin was quick to catch him and scold him for doing dangerous things. 

 

“How long have they been together?” Woojin asked, swirling his noodles in the red broth. 

 

Jaehwan munched on a piece of pork. “Haknyeon and Youngmin?” Woojin nodded. “I dunno for sure, but they were definitely together before you left for camp.”

 

The reason why Woojin had probably never seen Haknyeon until now was because he didn’t really like to get involved with his father’s love life. Youngmin had understood this early on, so he never forced Woojin into meeting them or anything, and often avoided bringing them home. Youngmin’s longest relationship had only lasted two months, and even then Woojin had only met him a handful of times. 

 

“Who even is he?”

 

Jaehwan wiped his hands on his pants before pulling Woojin’s ukelele out. He strummed it. “His name’s Joo Haknyeon. He’s a model or something that was doing a photoshoot by the beach when he met your Dad.”

 

Woojin crossed his legs and slurped his soup. “And...Dad likes him?”

 

Jaehwan chuckled. “Woojin, you saw what was happening in the kitchen, right? That man has got your dad wrapped around his little finger.”

 

There was something in Jaehwan’s voice that unsettled Woojin. “There’s a ‘but’ in there somewhere,” he said.

 

Jaehwan looked over, surprise evident in his eyes. “What did you learn at camp? You’ve suddenly become psychic or something.” He laughed a bit. 

 

“To tell you the truth, I’ve seen them a couple of times. Now, I’m not really a romance expert myself, but whenever I do see them, Haknyeon’s always clinging onto Youngmin’s arm, giggling and twirling his hair.” Jaehwan picked up the empty noodle bowls and placed them off to the side before continuing. 

 

“And your father isn’t exactly the suave, sophisticated bachelor or anything, so one might ask: ‘what’s an attractive young thing like Haknyeon doing hanging onto this fish farmer dude?’”

 

Woojin frowned. “So you’re saying Haknyeon has got ulterior motives?”

 

Jaehwan shrugged. “Who knows, my friend. But your dad is a grown man, and he makes his own decisions. I can’t really tell him what to do.” He picked up the bowls and their utensils before climbing back into Woojin’s room. But before he left, he turned around.

 

“But who knows? Maybe you can convince him otherwise.” Jaehwan winked at him before bidding him goodnight.

 

Woojin lay back against the tile of the roof and stared up at the sky. He fished his phone out of his pocket and opened it up to the picture that he took of Daehwi’s family photo.

 

He looked at Youngmin's smile, his arms holding little baby Daehwi. It was so happy, so pure, so genuine. 

 

Woojin bit his lip and decided that if Haknyeon could make Youngmin smile like that again, then Woojin would have to accept him. 

 

The only problem was breaking the news to Daehwi. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year to you all~~~ (starting the year right by writing gay fanfiction, am i right?)
> 
> 2017 was an interesting year, to say the least. It was the first time I posted a fic and was the first time that i decided to co-write something. Thank you guys for giving this fic so much love and I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)
> 
> sadly, I don't have a twitter where I can scream about mxm's recent teaser photos, but feel free to scream about them in the comments so I can scream with you (i kind of died today after seeing youngmin's teasers bc wow what an angel)
> 
> \- hoeunki


	7. rise and shine, otter boy

Daehwi watched as the picturesque countryside blended into the soaring, grey, buildings of the metropolitan city he called home. It was a bittersweet feeling, having to leave behind the lake, trees, and cabins that had become a sort of escape for him for the duration of the camp. Returning back to the city, back to reality, made Daehwi feel bitter. It made summer’s ending feel much more real.

 

But beneath the sadness and disappointment, Daehwi couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation. Of hope.

 

Knowing that he was going to reunite the family he never knew he had excited him. Daehwi couldn’t help but imagine the four of them laughing, smiling and as happy as they were in the photograph tucked away in his wallet.

 

He couldn’t wait to see Donghyun smile like that again.

 

Before Daehwi knew it, their car had pulled up into the basement car park of their building. He’d been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t realised they arrived until his father nudged him lightly in the arm.

 

“We’re home, kiddo.” He said, grinning as he unbuckled his seatbelt. Daehwi stretched in his seat, suddenly realising how stiff he had been from sitting in the car for hours.

 

As they waited for the elevator to take them up to the penthouse, Donghyun’s phone suddenly rang. A sinking feeling came to Daehwi as he watched his father’s relaxed expression morph into a familiar one of weariness and concern.

 

“Work calling, huh?” Daehwi asked, already knowing the answer. Donghyun sighed, tucking the phone into his pocket. He looked at Daehwi with apologetic eyes.

 

“One of our suppliers had a mix up with the fabric quantities and now we might not have enough material to meet the deadline for our show,” The exhaustion and worry in his father’s voice made Daehwi’s heart break a little. Donghyun always worked so hard for him and Daehwi but life always seemed to step in and make things difficult for him.

 

Daehwi put a reassuring hand on Donghyun’s arm before smiling at him. “Go save the day,” He said. “I’ll just heat up some leftovers or something.” The guilt in Donghyun’s eyes as he said this was something Daehwi had grown accustomed to seeing but it still never failed to sadden him.

 

Donghyun pulled Daehwi in for a hug before kissing the top of his head quickly. “I’ll have Sewoon come over for dinner with you. He mentioned something about wanting to try out a new recipe, maybe you could help him with that?” He said hopefully. Daehwi grinned.

 

“We’ll have dinner ready for you when you’re done,” He promised. Donghyun grinned back but his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. Daehwi knew he was feeling bad about leaving him alone again.

 

The soft _ding_ of the elevator signalled for the two to part ways and the father son duo reluctantly stepped away from each other. After rolling his suitcase into the elevator, Daehwi turned around just before the doors closed to see Donghyun waving.

 

The ride up to the penthouse seemed to take forever. Daehwi fiddled with the handle of his suitcase until the lift came to a stop.

 

Gripping his suitcase handle, Daehwi rolled his suitcase into the apartment. The curtains hadn't been drawn and the lack of light made the place seem a little colder than usual. Or maybe it was just Daehwi’s imagination.

 

He dumped his suitcase in his room before heading to the kitchen to raid the pantry for snacks. After grabbing a bag of chips and a soda, he padded over to the living room.

 

As he turned the television on to some random sitcom that was airing, he felt his phone buzz next to him.

 

**_uncle ponyo_ **

_diy pizza night later. i'll be there at 5.30 :)_

 

He checked the time. 3.30pm. Time for a nap, he thought as he snuggled into the sofa cushions.

 

_“Hey Dae?” Woojin asked._

  
  
_It was the second night of the camp. One night after Woojin and Daehwi discovered their big family secret. The two of them were sitting on Daehwi’s bed. Daehwi had been scrolling mindlessly through Twitter, laughing at videos and occasionally watching Woojin as he worked a tiny puzzle airplane._

  
  
_“Mm?” Daehwi hummed in acknowledgement, keeping his eyes on his phone screen. He felt Woojin shift a little next to him._

  
  
_“Tell me a story about Donghyun.”_

  
  
_At this, Daehwi’s finger froze mid-scroll. He looked up to see Woojin looking at him right back, a little snaggletoothed smile coming his way. “What do you want to know?” Daehwi asked, putting his phone down next to him. Woojin shrugged and turned back to his little plane._

  
  
_“Anything. Everything. Tell me a funny story. He seems like he would have quite a few.” Woojin’s voice was casual but Daehwi could detect something underneath it. Hope? Curiosity?_

  
_  
_ Whatever it was, it spurned Daehwi to quickly think back on all of Donghyun’s finest moments. He leaned back against the wall and thought silently for a minute.

 

_"Well," Daehwi said slowly. "There was this one time where Sewoon and I wanted to surprise Dad for his birthday. So we made him this chocolate cake but it was really ugly because Sewoon and I had zero icing skills or anything and it was kind of wonky on one side because Sewoon nearly dropped it when we were shifting it over onto a plate."_

  
  
_"But when Dad saw the cake he burst into tears." Daehwi's voice got softer, gentler. Woojin looked at him quietly, waiting to hear the rest. "He said he couldn't remember the last time anyone tried to surprise him like this. Or the last time anyone tried making him a cake. He started crying so hard we couldn't even sing 'Happy Birthday',"_

  
_  
_ "Wow," Woojin said, setting down the little plane in his hands and scooted around to face Daehwi. "I would have thought that Youngmin did all the crying between the two of them but I guess I was wrong,"

 

_Daehwi shifted closer to Woojin. “So does Youngmin cry a lot then?”_

 

_“The man is a walking fountain.” Woojin said sagely. “Birthdays? Tears. Sad, sappy romance movies? Even more tears.” Daehwi was laughing at this point, imagining the scene play out. “You should have seen him cry when he watched ‘Marley and Me’ last month. Kept going for ages until Jaehwan threw a towel at him.”_

 

The sound of someone humming combined with the smell of pasta sauce roused Daehwi from his nap. Bolting straight up and nearly knocking over the half-empty bag of chips in his arms, he blinked blearily and looked over behind the sofa.

  
  
“Rise and shine, otter boy,” Sewoon said, noticing Daehwi. He was standing at the kitchen counter with a pile of assorted vegetables  had an apron tied around his waist that read "caution: hot stuff coming through” in large letters. It had been a gag Christmas present Daehwi had given Donghyun last year. "I got started on the pizza sauce," He waved at the large pot bubbling away on the stove with the knife in his hand. "Wanna help me out with the rest of the toppings?"

  
  
As Daehwi worked on carefully washing the mushrooms, Sewoon asked, "So, tell me about that camp of yours. What did you all do?"

  
  
Setting down the clean mushrooms on a paper towel, Daehwi turned to look at Sewoon. "You won't believe what happened," He said, trying to contain his excitement. Sewoon raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

  
  
"Did you experience your first summer romance?"

  
  
"No, sadly. Guess who I met?"

  
  
"I don't know, Santa? Your brother? The tooth fairy?" Sewoon asked exasperatedly. Daehwi nodded eagerly, practically bouncing on the soles of his feet.

  
  
"I met my brother! Woojin! " Daehwi said, half-laughing at the shell-shocked expression that had affixed itself onto Sewoon's face. The older man blinked back, clearly unsure how to react to what he had just heard.

  
  
"Woojin? You met Woojin?" He repeated, still stunned. Daehwi realised that Sewoon had started swaying lightly, probably too shocked to stand properly. He guided Sewoon over to one of the kitchen stools and sat him down on it.

  
  
"We were in the same cabin." Daehwi said, recalling it. "I was so stupid. I didn't even realise that Woojin was the other kid in the photo until one of the other kids in the cabin pointed it out to all of us." Daehwi owed Jinyoung his first child.

  
  
Sewoon was quiet for a moment. Daehwi could tell he had gotten over his initial shock a little bit. "What was it like? To meet him?" The man asked, breaking the silence.

  
  
What was it like? Daehwi pondered. "It felt like all my dreams came true," He said softly. He could feel Sewoon studying him closely, watching for his reaction carefully. "It was so... comfortable. Maybe it was a sibling thing, maybe it wasn't but when I met him it was like I'd known him before. Even if we didn't remember."

  
  
"Did he tell you about Youngmin?" Sewoon asked quietly, mild curiosity coloring his tone. Daehwi smiled softly to himself.

  
  
"He did. Youngmin sounds like a great guy." He said. "I haven't met him yet but from what I've heard from Woojin, I think I kind of understand why Dad loved him all those years ago." Daehwi remembered the expression that came across Woojin's face whenever he talked about Youngmin. It was like he would fight a million people to protect his father.

  
  
He looked over at Sewoon again, eyes lighting up anticipation.

  
  
"Hey, Sewoon..." Daehwi tried to stop himself from sounding too eager but unfortunately Sewoon picked up on it immediately and stood up from the stool. He folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes at Daehwi suspiciously.

  
  
"I know that tone," He huffed. "You're planning something again."

  
  
"Woojin and I-" Daehwi started. Sewoon's eyes narrowed even more.

  
  
"Woojin and- Wait, I think I know where this is going," Sewoon looked at him with an unreadable expression and Daehwi suddenly felt that maybe it wasn't a good idea to tell Sewoon about The Plan. "You're planning on making Youngmin and Donghyun meet again, aren't you?" Stupid Sewoon and his stupid intuition. Daehwi cursed silently.

  
  
Nervously, Daehwi turned back to the forgotten vegetables on the counter and started fiddling with them. "Is that so bad? We just wanted to see our family whole again, even if it was just gonna be one time.”

 

For a moment, there was silence again. The two of them Daehwi wasn’t sure if Sewoon was going to be onboard with the plan. Even though Sewoon was practically family to Daehwi, an almost older brother, the weird but kind uncle, Sewoon was still his father’s best friend and Daehwi understood if Sewoon prioritised Donghyun over Daehwi. He knew Donghyun best, after all.

  
  
So Daehwi found himself feeling stunned when Sewoon suddenly said, "If this will make Donghyun happy, then I'm in." He nearly gave himself whiplash as he whirled around to face Sewoon, who was now rolling some dough flat with a rolling pin.

  
  
"Are you serious?" Daehwi asked, still in mild shock. Sewoon shrugged. He reached over for the pizza sauce and spread it out messily onto his now flattened dough.

  
  
"I think it's time for all of you to meet again." He looked at Daehwi with a soft gaze. "I know Donghyun misses Woojin like crazy."

  
  
Daehwi ignored the way Sewoon blatantly avoided mentioning Youngmin. It unsettled him slightly but he wasn't about to pry open another can of worms just yet. He'd rather wait for Donghyun to tell him the whole story himself.

  
  
"Thank you," Daehwi said, bouncing over and hugging Sewoon from the side. Sewoon patted him on the shoulder awkwardly from their position before gently removing himself from the boy.

  
  
"Pass me the cheese and sausages from the fridge," Sewoon said seriously. "You can tell me all about your plan while we finish up these pizzas.

  
  
As they made 2 large pizzas with various toppings sitting prettily on top of each one (Daehwi and Sewoon fought over putting pineapples on one of them and Daehwi, being pro-pineapple and generally more obnoxious and energetic than Sewoon in their argument, won in the end), Daehwi told Sewoon everything about what went down when he and Woojin discovered the truth and their plans to reunite their family.

  
  
"We're planning on having Youngmin and Donghyun meet 'coincidentally' while Woojin and Youngmin are here to check out the dance academy for Woojin," Daehwi explained. He cleaned up the counter top as Sewoon carefully placed the pizzas in the oven. "Who knows, it could rekindle something too?" He side-eyed Sewoon cautiously, gauging his response.

  
  
Sewoon laughed, to Daehwi's relief.  He straightened up and dusted his hands off on the bottom of his apron. "Rekindle?" He smiled at Daehwi. "Dae, it never really died. The way things ended between them... Let's just leave it at the fact that neither of them really meant for it to happen but they were so convinced that the other really did mean it. I don't know about Youngmin but Donghyun... He never really stopped loving Youngmin."

  
  
Daehwi took a minute to absorb everything he had just heard. He was overjoyed to hear that Donghyun still felt something for Youngmin after all these years. But the thought of Youngmin having a new boyfriend made Daehwi doubt for a bit. What if Donghyun was also looking to date again? What if Donghyun realised now that he needed to move on? Was it too late to try bring Youngmin and Woojin back into the picture again.

  
  
Sewoon was too preoccupied with checking on the pizzas to notice Daehwi's inner turmoil. But Daehwi was grateful for the comfortable quiet that fell in the kitchen. He needed time to think. And he needed time to figure out how to check on the status of his Dad's love life without getting Sewoon involved. The man had already done so much for Daehwi, from telling him the truth about the other half of his family to agreeing to help in anyway he could in reuniting Youngmin and Donghyun.

  
  
It's time Daehwi took matters into his own hands.

  
  
*****

  
  
Subtlety had never really been Daehwi's strongest point.

  
  
He could be rather blunt about things and didn't quite feel the need to beat around bushes too often. Like now, as he watched Donghyun inhale slice after slice of pizza ravenously.

  
  
His father had arrived home just as the pizzas came out of the oven and excitedly helped them get the table ready. He had looked exhausted when he walked in but the moment he saw Daehwi slicing through the pizzas in the kitchen, his eyes lit up with happiness and he suddenly seemed more energised than before. Or maybe it was the pizza that had him looking so happy. Daehwi wasn't sure.

  
  
Sewoon had already excused himself after finishing off half a pizza, claiming that he was on a 'diet' and that he forgot to re-fill the automatic fish feeder for his fish that morning. In reality, Daehwi had told him he wanted to do a one-on-one interrogation session with Donghyun.

 

"Dad," Daehwi started, feeling his heart thrum faster in anticipation. "Have you ever thought about dating?"

  
  
The slice of pizza that Donghyun was about to put into his mouth slipped between his fingers and clattered onto the plate gracelessly. He stared at Daehwi with wide eyes in surprise, or rather shock. He quickly composed himself and grabbed a napkin to wipe the toppings that had fallen onto the tabletop. "What's with the sudden question?" He said, clearly trying to pass it off like he hadn't just had some sort of a freeze-up.

  
  
Daehwi shrugged nonchalantly and reached for the bottle of coke. As he poured himself a glass, he looked back at his father. "We were talking about dating one night during the camp. And a lot of the counsellors were also dating. It made me wonder if you've thought about dating lately." He took a sip from his glass and furtively studied his father's face for any responses.

  
  
Donghyun smiled a little. A slightly bitter smile, Daehwi noted mentally. "I haven't exactly had time to meet new people. You know me, I'm always either at home with you or at work."

  
  
"But you could always just tell me if you want to go out on a date. Or if you need some time alone for your own stuff." Daehwi pointed out. It was true. Donghyun never really took time off for himself. Any free time he had, he spent it with Daehwi. It was probably his way of making up for all the times he'd come home late or miss Daehwi's school things because of work.

  
  
"Dates?" Donghyun mused. He took a sip from his own glass before continuing. "You know, Sewoon used to set me up on blind dates. It was ages ago, you were still tiny." Daehwi listened attentively now, breath held in anticipation. "None of them worked out though. Didn't really see any of them after that first date. I just wasn't ready I guess."

  
  
"And what about now?" Daehwi asked quickly. A little too quickly perhaps, because Donghyun raised an eyebrow at his eagerness.

 

He looked at Daehwi suspiciously. “Why are you so curious about my love life all of a sudden? You never really asked befo-”

 

“Nothing!” Daehwi said hastily. “I… I was just wondering if you’d ever consider settling down with someone else. You know, someone else you can depend on besides me and Sewoon. If you’ll ever find someone like that. Because I really I hope you will, dad. I think it’d be good for our family, don’t you think?

 

Donghyun ran a hand down his face tiredly but gave Daehwi a smile. “I know you’re worried about me growing old alone and me being lonely now. But I’m not lonely, I’ve got you and Sewoon. And the business keeps me busy. I’ve got everything I need right here. Maybe one day I’ll find someone to settle down with agai- Settle down with.” Donghyun corrected himself hurriedly.

 

Again? Daehwi definitely did not mishear that. Donghyun was still pretending that he didn’t have Youngmin in the past. And Woojin.

 

It made Daehwi’s heart ache knowing that Donghyun still wasn’t ready to tell him.

 

So Daehwi pretended not to notice Donghyun’s little slip up and let the topic go. The slip up, while heartbreaking in its own way, gave Daehwi the confirmation he needed to carry on with the plan.

 

It was time to get things in motion.

 

*****

 

“You can do this,” Daehwi whispered to himself, determined.

 

He clutched his phone in one hand. Woojin’s number was already dialled, all he had to do was hit the ‘call’ button.

 

Taking a deep breath, he pressed it and squeaked a little as he put the phone up to his ear.

 

“New phone, who’s this?” Woojin’s familiar voice rumbled cheekily through the speaker.

 

“Shut up, I’ve got news.” Daehwi said, rolling his eyes even though Woojin couldn’t see.

 

“I’ve got news too,” Woojin said back. “I wanted to call you sooner but Dad started sending me on all these errands for the farm.” Daehwi adjusted himself into a more comfortable position on his bed, keeping the phone close to his ear.

 

“You can tell me yours after I tell you mine,” Daehwi was already smiling thinking about how Woojin would react. “Dad, I mean Donghyun, still has some feelings for Youngmin!” He grinned to himself as he heard Woojin gasp on the other end of the line.

 

“How do you know?” Woojin’s voice was unsure.

 

“He literally told me that he went on blind dates before but nothing worked out because he wasn’t ‘ready’ and then he literally lied to my face again about not having settled down with anyone in his life ever and I’m pretty sure that the fact that he doesn’t want to tell me yet means that either 1. He isn’t ready to move on from Youngmin or 2. He thinks _I’m_ not ready to hear the truth yet. But according to Sewoon, Donghyun never really stopped loving Youngmin. He said those words! This means that we have a good chance of getting them back together!” Daehwi was breathless as he said this. He’d been holding it all to himself the last few days since he found out and it felt amazing to be able to share his excitement with Woojin.

 

There was a silence on the other end of the line. “Hello? Woojin, you there?”

 

A cough. “Yeah, Daehwi listen. So my news isn’t really good news.” Woojin said hesitantly. Daehwi frowned.

 

“Youngmin’s got a new boyfriend.”

 

New boyfriend? _New boyfriend?_

 

“What do you mean he’s got a new boyfriend?” Daehwi said, still not quite grasping what Woojin said.

 

“He’s bumping uglies with the guy, Dae. I got home from camp and literally walked into them getting it on in the kitchen. Right in front of Jaehwan’s salad!” Daehwi could _hear_ Woojin’s disgusted shudder through the phone. “I wanted to bleach my eyes.”

 

“Are they serious? Do you think Youngmin’s gonna marry the guy?” Daehwi asked, worried.

 

“Calm down Dae,” Woojin said reassuringly. “Jaehwan said this is a fairly new development. Youngmin’s just totally whipped for him.”

 

“What are gonna do?” Daehwi wailed loudly. Thankfully, there was no one else at home to hear him. He could scream to his heart’s content. “This is ruining our plans! How are we going to reunite them if Youngmin’s got someone hanging off his arm?!”

 

Silence.

 

“We could drown this boyfriend,” Daehwi suggested helpfully. “Make it look like a tragic accident at your fish farm.”

 

Woojin snort-laughed at the other end of the line. “We’re not going to drown our dad’s boyfriend,”

 

“Who’s drowning your dad’s boyfriend?” Another voice from Woojin’s end demanded loudly.

 

Daehwi froze, phone glued to his ear. He heard Woojin swear under his breath before the line cut abruptly.

 

For a while Daehwi sat still, listening to the repetitive beeping of the phone as he tried to absorb everything that had just happened in the mere span of three minutes.

 

Well. So much for a foolproof plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope everyone's new year has been going great so far!
> 
> i wasn't expecting to put out this update so soon but the flow just came to me and i just totally abandoned all my other responsibilities for a bit to write this chapter. i hope you all enjoyed reading it!!
> 
> in other news we're all about to be blessed again by king sewoon, who else is ready to screech because i am sfdjlfds
> 
> \- kwonjis
> 
>  
> 
> _holler at us on twitter:[takadactyl (hoeunki)](https://twitter.com/takadactyl) and [taemintys (kwonjis)](https://twitter.com/taemintys)! _


	8. gold digging lecher

“Who’s drowning your dad’s boyfriend?”

 

Crap.

 

“No-one!” He had been pretty sure the house was empty before he dialled Daehwi’s number, which was why the sudden voice caught him off-guard. In a panic, Woojin quickly ended the call and flung his phone across the room where it fell short of his desk and landed in the trash can. Real smooth.

 

He grimaced and turned around to face Jaehwan, who was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. To be fair, the situation could have been a thousand times worse if it had been Haknyeon or, heaven forbid, Youngmin himself. There would have been a _lot_ of explaining on Woojin’s part if that had happened.

 

Jaehwan walked over to Woojin’s desk and to his horror, plucked the phone out of the trash. He cursed quietly as Jaehwan punched in his password and swiped his phone open.

 

“Okay. I’ll just check your phone call history then.”

 

Woojin leapt off the bed and attempted to barrel into Jaehwan but was blocked quickly with an arm. Jaehwan squinted as he held the phone over his head, peering up at the screen.

 

“Who’s Dae-”

 

There was only one option at this point, and Woojin was hoping he didn’t have to resort to using it. He lifted his knee and aimed for Jaehwan’s balls. Jaehwan screeched and doubled over in pain, and Woojin saw his chance. He snatched the phone and was about to sprint away when he felt a hand clamp down on his ankle.

 

“Shi-” Woojin fell face first onto his (thankfully carpeted) floor with a resounding ‘thump’. The phone skittered across the room and out into the hallway.

 

If anyone had walked into Woojin’s room at this exact moment, they would’ve seen two disheveled figures collapsed on the floor and groaning in pain. Jaehwan winced as he got off his stomach and onto his knees, glaring at Woojin as he did so.

 

“Damn, that was painful, you little brat.” He smacked Woojin upside the head. Woojin ignored him and went to get his phone, immediately checking for any cracks in the screen.  Youngmin would’ve given him another nagging if he had broken it.

 

Jaehwan, who seemed to have somewhat recovered, sat down on Woojin’s bed. “Was that really necessary? I mean, you could’ve told me you had some secret boyfriend that you didn’t want me to know about.”

 

Woojin halted in his tracks. _Boyfriend?_

 

He must’ve made some sort of expression because Jaehwan sat up and began to blabber. “So you do have one! I knew it! Look at you, going off to some summer camp and finding some other nerdy little kid to be all lovey dovey with. You haven’t kissed yet, have you? Youngmin would have an aneurysm if he found out. And you referred to him as ‘our’ dad, or did I hear that wrongly? Wow, kids these days move pretty fast-”

 

“He’s my brother.”

 

Jaehwan’s smile faltered, but only for a moment. To Woojin’s surprise, he began chuckling. He frowned. Did Jaehwan know all this time? Was he just messing with him?

 

Jaehwan picked up the buffalo plushie and sat it on his lap, playing with its legs. “That’s cute. You guys really bonded over that camp, I see.” He was still smiling widely, which meant that he didn’t know anything. Woojin’s heart sank a little. Youngmin had really tried to erase his past with Donghyun if he hadn’t even told his closest friend about Daehwi.

 

Woojin shook his head quickly, moving to sit on the bed next to Jaehwan. The bedsprings creaked as the mattress dipped with his weight. “No, Jaehwan. He’s not just a _bro._ He’s...my actual...bro.”

 

He could see Jaehwan’s eyebrows creasing in confusion, so he unlocked his phone and searched for the family picture.

 

“Here,” he said, handing the device over. Jaehwan took it and looked over the picture, eyes widening almost comically as his face lit up with recognition. Woojin sat silently the whole time, tapping his fingers nervously against the wooden bed frame.

 

He hadn’t really thought this plan through, he belatedly realized. Ever since Daehwi had launched the whole idea into action, Woojin was sure that Jaehwan would be the first person he was going to tell. After all, Jaehwan was always quick to take his side. But now, seeing the frown on Jaehwan’s face, Woojin wondered if he was doing the right thing.

 

Youngmin must’ve loved Donghyun a lot if they were both so willing to adopt two boys at such a young age. Starting a family wasn’t something that you did on a whim, and surely Youngmin and Donghyun had known that. Which meant that for them to have a divorce and start on a completely blank slate...something big must’ve happened. Something that Youngmin had bottled up and thrown into the deepest recesses of his heart. And here Woojin and Daehwi were, fishing it right out.

 

Jaehwan tilted his head as he handed the phone back to Woojin. He was surprisingly calm, calmer than Woojin had expected.

 

“You know, you’re taking this really well,” Woojin told him. He had been expecting a lot more screaming.

 

Jaehwan didn’t laugh. On his face was a look of pure confusion, his eyes narrowed and mouth slightly agape. He seemed to be contemplating something very seriously.

 

“Wait so...you have a brother?”

 

Woojin nodded.

 

“Like a real, legit brother.”

 

“Yup.”

 

“And Youngmin was married. With a husband.”

 

“Pretty much so, yes.”

 

Jaehwan whistled, flopping back onto the bed with a flump. “Damn.”

 

Woojin lay down as well. He stared up at the glow-in-the-dark stars that were plastered on his ceiling. They were old, some fraying at the edges. Woojin had thought it was stupid at the time; he could just step onto his balcony and see real stars, stars that actually twinkled.

 

“So you really didn’t know, huh. About...my other dad. Or Daehwi.”

 

Jaehwan shook his head, strands of his fringe falling in his eyes. “When your dad first moved here with a tiny baby in his arms I actually thought you were his little brother. I thought maybe there was some freak accident that happened in Seoul and the rest of your family died and Youngmin was escaping with you.”

 

Woojin snorted. “You’re such a drama queen.”

 

“Hey, let a man imagine, okay? Anyway, I tried to ask him about his life in Seoul a few times but he always said that he ‘wasn’t ready’ to talk about it. I learned pretty quickly that he didn’t want to talk about it so I stopped asking. The past is the past, right?”

 

The words echoed in Woojin’s head and settled unpleasantly in his stomach. “But...what if the past never stopped being the past?” Woojin mumbled. “What if Dad’s relationships never worked out because he’s still hung up over Donghyun--he’s my other father, by the way.”

 

Jaehwan hummed, rubbing his chin with his hand. “I guess it would explain why Youngmin’s always the one to end the relationship. All this time I assumed he had commitment issues.”

 

Woojin remembered Daehwi’s words.

 

_If there’s a chance for our family to be whole again then I’m going to do everything I can to make it happen._

 

He glanced over at Jaehwan, who had picked up his phone and was scrolling through Twitter. If there was any hope of getting Donghyun and Youngmin back together, he was going to need Jaehwan’s help. Woojin inhaled deeply through his nose. _Here goes nothing._

 

“What do you think about having them meet again?”

 

Jaehwan’s thumb paused mid-scroll. “You mean...Youngmin and Donghyun?” He bit his lip and chewed it thoughtfully.

 

Woojin held his breath. _Please say yes. Please say yes._

 

“I think...it’ll be good for him.”

 

Woojin sat up. “Really? Would you be willing to help make it happen?” He couldn’t stop the smile that crept up on his lips. Jaehwan shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, as if it wasn’t a big deal. Woojin flopped down on Jaehwan, wrapping his arms around him in a tight hug.

 

“You’re the best, you know.”

 

Jaehwan patted his back. “I know.”

 

Woojin never really initiated acts of affection. He was more of the type to show his appreciation through small actions, and he knew Jaehwan was the same. Although there was a large age gap between them, Jaehwan always tried his best to understand Woojin. And he would forever be grateful for that.

 

“He’s pretty cute though,” Jaehwan commented, after a few moments of silence.

 

Woojin chuckled. “Daehwi?”

 

Jaehwan shook his head. “Your other dad. Ten out of ten would bang.” He shrieked as Woojin whacked him in the stomach. “I’m kidding! But seriously, I always wonder what is it about Youngmin that attracts hot guys even though he’s a such a mess.”

 

Woojin leaned his head on Jaehwan’s chest. “Dad’s a good guy.”

 

But the question then still remained, hovering in the back of his mind.

 

_What happened all those years ago?_

 

*****

 

Woojin dug fingers into the grainy sand, dragging them along to form a line in front of him. He placed the plastic cup by the water beside him and watched as it filled with the slow tide.

 

It had been three days since Jaehwan caught Woojin on the phone. Youngmin had came to his bedroom early in the morning to ask him if he wanted to go to the beach with him and ‘chill’. Woojin had agreed of course, but he felt that something was up. Youngmin didn’t usually do these kinds of things, especially on Saturday mornings.

 

“I’m glad that you agreed to come down here today, Woojin.” Youngmin piled a bunch of sand into his cup and turned it over so that it formed a little sand tower. “I wanted to talk to you about something important.”

 

Woojin poured water into the sand trench to create a moat for their sandcastle. “That’s funny, Dad. I had something I wanted to talk to you about too.”

 

Youngmin pressed his fingers into the tower to make little windows. “Okay, you go first.”

 

“No, you.”

 

“Well, I wanted to talk to you about Haknyeon.” Woojin resisted the urge to hiss. He was trying to watch TV the other day and the two of them were snuggled up on the couch, Haknyeon perched on Youngmin’s lap. It was disgusting.

 

“Yeah?” Woojin replied, trying to sound calm. “Well, I wanted to talk to you a little about your life in Seoul.”

 

He wasn’t looking directly at Youngmin, but in his peripheral vision he saw how his father’s arm instantly tensed up. The plastic cup slipped out of his fingers and he clumsily chased after it.

 

“I-I...why the sudden interest?” Woojin looked up but Youngmin had his gaze fixed firmly on the second sandcastle mound he was building.

 

“Nothing, really. A lot of my friends that I met in camp are from there, so I wanted to know how it was like. You lived there before, right? It’s where you adopted me?”

 

Youngmin was speechless and Woojin’s heart was hammering against his chest. He knew he had overstepped a boundary, but there was no going back at this point.

 

“It was nice. University was really...swell.”

 

Woojin stared at him incredulously. “ _Swell?_ ” That’s how he described meeting his former husband and adopting two kids? _Swell?_

 

“Uh, I meant fun? Interesting?” Youngmin cleared his throat. “It was definitely...something.”

 

Woojin hummed. “Did you ever meet anyone?”

 

Youngmin lowered his hand. His gaze travelled to the waves that lapped gently at the shore and Woojin thought for a second that he was simply going to pretend that he didn’t hear the question. A look flitted across his face, and Woojin felt guilty.

 

He had never seen such a sad expression on his father before.

 

“Yeah,” Youngmin said softly, after some time. “I met a lot of great people there.”

 

Woojin wanted to tell him that he knew. He wanted to hear Youngmin pour his heart out to him, to tell him the whole story of him and Donghyun and how they met and how they fell apart. But it wasn’t the right time.

 

“So yeah, what was it about Haknyeon that you wanted to ask me?”

 

Youngmin shook himself out of his trance and turned back to Woojin. “R-right.” He placed his hands on his lap. “What do you think of him?”

 

 _Gross_ , Woojin wanted to say. “He’s...cute. Has nice teeth and hair, I suppose.”

 

Youngmin looked relieved. “That’s good.”

 

“But why do you want my opinion?” Woojin asked. He had a feeling he knew where the conversation was going, and it was starting to leave a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.

 

Youngmin fiddled with his hands. “What do you think of him becoming a part of our family?”

 

Woojin’s heart dropped. If he didn’t do something soon, it would be too late. He’d miss his chance of bringing Youngmin to Seoul and he’d be stuck with having Haknyeon as his new father.

 

He stood up. “You can’t get married!” he cried. Youngmin blinked, surprised at Woojin’s adamant refusal. “You’ll...ruin everything if you do!”

 

Woojin turned and ran back to the house, leaving Youngmin yelling after him. He could play it off later, pull some tears out and act as though he was upset about having another person in Youngmin’s life. But for now, he needed to find Jaehwan and do something fast.

 

He couldn’t let Daehwi down.

 

*****

 

Woojin was lying stomach-down on the floor of their living room, arms propped up as he played a game of Mario Kart. Jaehwan was in the kitchen preparing dinner and Youngmin was working a bit late, so Woojin was alone as usual.

 

He used a red shell at the very last minute, overtaking the player in front of him and winning first place. Woojin cheered and waved around the controller in his hand. A slam from the front entrance caught his attention. He rolled over, thinking it was Youngmin, and he was about to greet him when Haknyeon burst in, holding a bag that had some fancy foreign name on it that Woojin couldn’t pronounce. It seemed to be food of some sort, so at least there was that.

 

“Youngmin!” Woojin saw how Haknyeon’s eyes narrowed as his gaze landed on him.

 

“Oh,” he said, clearly disappointed.

 

Woojin flashed a fake smile at him. “Hi, Haknyeon. Nice to see you too.”

 

Haknyeon set the food (Woojin suspected it was cake) on the coffee table as he sat down on the sofa and crossed his legs. “Actually, I was waiting to talk to you alone.”

 

Woojin raised his eyebrows. This was going to be interesting.

 

Haknyeon played with a strand of his hair. “Your daddy told me that you weren’t too keen on having me be a part of your family. I get that.”

 

Woojin rolled back on his stomach and selected another level to play. He didn’t really want to look at Haknyeon’s face right now.

 

“I remember when I was a teenager.”

 

“Yeah, because it was only like a few years ago,” Woojin muttered under his breath.

 

Haknyeon sighed dreamily. “You’re just starting to feel like an adult, and you’re busy trying to figure out what the word love really means to you. Well, Woojin, being in love is an amazing thing.”

 

Woojin paused his game and sat up to face Haknyeon.

 

“I don’t mean to interrupt your little talk, Haknyeon, but what do you really want from my dad?”

 

Haknyeon’s eyes narrowed. “Whatever do you mean?” Woojin hated how he talked with a condescending tone, like he was talking to a child.

 

“I know exactly what my Dad sees in you, Haknyeon,” he sneered.

 

His father’s boyfriend raised his eyebrows. “And what, pray tell, does your father see?” He was challenging him, and Woojin knew it.

 

Woojin crossed his legs, smirking. “You’re young, you’re pretty…” If Haknyeon had feathers, he’d be preening. “But in my opinion, there should be more to a relationship than just sex.”

 

Haknyeon’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

 

Woojin got up and sat down next to him, glaring into the older man’s eyes. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I stuttered.”

 

Haknyeon leaned back and folded his arms. “Youngmin really underestimates you, kid. And sorry to break it to you, but I do love your father and he loves me too. He’s exactly my type.”

 

“Is your type someone with a lot of money?” It was a shame that Jaehwan wasn’t here. He’d give him a high-five for that one.

 

Haknyeon leaned in, glowering at Woojin. “Listen up, brat. Once I marry your father, whether you like it or not, I’ll be shipping you off to some military school far away and you’ll wish you’d never have messed with me.”

 

Woojin imitated the way Haknyeon leaned in and tilted his head slightly, fluttering his eyelashes as he blinked.

 

“Sure thing, snake.”

 

“TIME FOR DINNER!” Jaehwan screamed, interrupting their little glare-off. If he hadn’t yelled, Woojin thought Haknyeon may have strangled him right there and then. Woojin got onto his feet and made his way quickly to the dining room. He sat down at his seat next to Jaehwan, who was pouring water in to his cup.

 

Woojin leaned over and cupped his hand over Jaehwan’s ear.

 

“Haknyeon’s nothing but a gold-digging lecher, hyung. He’s planning to ship me off to military school once they get married.”

 

Jaehwan frowned. “You have to do it now, Woojin. We need to strike while the barbeque is hot.”

 

“Don’t you mean ‘iron’?”

 

“I know what I meant.”

 

Youngmin slid the back door open and greeted them cheerfully. He was a bit dirty from having worked all day, but Woojin was used to it. Haknyeon came in through the hallway entrance and sat down across Woojin.

 

“Did you guys have a good day today?” Youngmin asked. He took off his gloves and placed them somewhere to the side.

 

Woojin smiled. “Yep. I had a nice talk with Haknyeon just now, actually.”  

 

Youngmin glanced back and forth between the two in mild astonishment. “That’s great!” He went over to Haknyeon and kissed him. Jaehwan made gagging sounds.

 

Dinner progressed smoothly. Woojin had to put up with Haknyeon and Youngmin talk about boring things and Jaehwan would occasionally butt in with another topic of conversation. Woojin focused on eating his food, trying to mentally prepare himself for the big question.

 

He was halfway through a bite of chicken when Jaehwan said, “Hey Woojin, what was that about a dance academy you were telling me about?”

 

Woojin sputtered, the piece of chicken flying across the table and onto Haknyeon’s plate. He had distinctly remembered telling Jaehwan to be _subtle_ about the whole proposal, but clearly that was a mistake. Woojin kicked Jaehwan under the table and he yelped.

 

Youngmin spooned rice into his mouth as he looked at Woojin. “What’s this about a dance academy?”

 

Woojin reached for another piece of chicken and tried his best to look casual. “You remember Daniel, right? The camp instructor who you thought was a gangster?”

 

Youngmin nodded.

 

“Well, he was really impressed with my dancing skills during camp and he kinda suggested that I check out this dance academy in Seoul. They’re having an open house next week.”

 

“Oh!” Youngmin hadn’t pulled a face yet, and Woojin internally cheered. It was going well. “That’s nice.”

 

Woojin poked at his vegetables. _Here it goes._

 

“So I was wondering if you’d like to go with me...to Seoul.”

 

He expected the clatter of Youngmin’s chopstick, and the following ‘whoops’ that came after. Youngmin sat up straight and thought for a moment before staring at Woojin, and Woojin drummed his fingers on his thighs nervously. He felt Jaehwan reach for his wrist and give it a squeeze.

 

“Is this...why you asked me about Seoul the other day?” Youngmin seemed hesitant. Scared, even.

 

Woojin nodded. “Yeah.”

 

Youngmin resumed eating but Woojin could see that he was considering it seriously. He looked over at Jaehwan, who shot him a small thumbs up. Woojin closed his eyes, waiting for the answer. He hoped he would be able to have good news to tell Daehwi tonight.

 

“I can’t.”

 

He had whispered it out loud, but to Woojin it seemed as though he was only talking to himself. What he didn’t expect was Jaehwan to slam his hands on the table. Haknyeon and Youngmin jumped.

 

“Why not?” Jaehwan demanded.

 

Youngmin looked bewildered at Jaehwan’s sudden outburst. “What?”

 

Jaehwan frowned. “Im Youngmin, I’ve known you for over ten years and you’ve always avoided this topic of conversation. I don’t care if you’re emotionally constipated over something that happened in Seoul a long time ago, but I’m not letting you get in the way of a good opportunity for Woojin.”

 

Woojin blinked. That wasn’t in the plan.

 

Youngmin and Jaehwan stared wordlessly at each other for a full minute before Youngmin slumped back and sighed.

 

“I guess...you’re right.” Woojin whipped his head around and gawked.

 

“Wait, really?” he and Jaehwan said at the same time.

 

His father bit his lip. “Yeah. It is a good opportunity for you, right? I should support that.”

 

Haknyeon, who Woojin almost forgot was sitting there, clapped his hands together. “It could be like a _family_ trip! I absolutely adore Seoul.” Haknyeon’s lips curled upwards in a smirk.

 

 _Try me_.

 

Woojin stabbed his fork into the broccoli on his plate as he glared back. “ _Sure_.”

 

If there was one thing Woojin was good at, it was pissing people off. He and Jihoon had pretty much mastered the art of it back at camp, and now he was going to unleash his full power on Haknyeon and make him regret everything.

 

As dinner finished and Youngmin began to wash the dishes Woojin started to head up to his bedroom, but he stopped halfway. He ran back down and slammed into Youngmin with a hug, burying his face into his father’s back.

 

“Thank you,” he mumbled. He knew it was a big deal for Youngmin too. “You have no idea how much it means to me.”

 

He felt his father’s warm hands reach down and clasp his. “I love you a lot, you know that, Woojin?”

 

Woojin smiled. “I love you too.”

 

But what he never saw was the tear that trickled down his father’s cheek or the way Youngmin rubbed at his eyes afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *gets on knees and bows* 
> 
> i'd like to apologize for not updating this fic for a whole month (i can't believe i didn't update for the whole diamond girl era SKLJDLKSJ). school was really horrible in january and there was just a lot of stuff going on but don't worry! we will never let this fic die and i'm so thankful for all of you guys who read or gave kudos or left a comment or just supported us in general <3 you guys are the bomb.
> 
> the last time I wrote a chapter I said that I didn't have a twitter but lol that's a lie now because kwonjis forced me to make one! 
> 
> hit me up @[takadactyl ](https://twitter.com/takadactyl) if y'all ever want to screech about something with me.
> 
> lastly, happy chinese new year/late valentines for anyone who celebrates it!!!


	9. interlude: a starless night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another update??? in less than two weeks?????
> 
> i had half this chapter written way before hoeunki even updated the last chapter ha ha ha so don't be too impressed 
> 
> i want to apologise in advance for the angst and i hope i did this chapter well enough. i had a difficult time writing this chapter but i hope i managed to pull it off well enough. also i don't know anything about adoption laws in korea so i literally just played this all by ear and i'm pretty sure it doesn't make sense but let's pretend for the sake of this story that it's not nonsense T.T
> 
> anyways i hope you all enjoy this chapter!
> 
> \- kwonjis

_-Then-_

 

Donghyun huffed as he sprinted up the stairs to his and Youngmin’s apartment, a brown manila envelope clutched tightly in one hand. He wasn’t bothered to wait for the lift, not when he had such great news to tell Youngmin.

  
  
He practically burst through the front door of the apartment, dropping sweet, quick, little kisses to the tops of Woojin and Daehwi’s head before making a beeline for Youngmin. The older man was sitting at their little dining table with a pile of papers scattered haphazardly in front of him. A little calculator lay next to his elbow. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, and perhaps frustration.

  
  
“Babe, I’ve got news,” Donghyun said as gently as possible while trying to contain his excitement. Youngmin looked up at him, eyes still somewhat dazed looking from all the reading and calculating he had been doing. He straightened up in his seat as Donghyun occupied the one across his.

 

  
“What’s up?” Youngmin asked. Donghyun could hear the exhaustion in his voice.

  
  
“Do you remember Kim Donghan? From university? He was another design major like me, same year and everything.” Donghyun pressed. Recognition shone in Youngmin’s eyes and he nodded, urging him to continue. “Well, I’ve been talking to him this past few weeks. And today,” He slapped the envelope down in front of Youngmin and pushed it towards the other eagerly. “We both signed the lease to one of the empty offices in Songdo!”

  
  
Youngmin had taken out the contents of the envelope and read through it with an unreadable expression. Donghyun was too excited to take note of this and carried on happily, “I didn’t expect him to want to partner up but he said he was willing to help my, I mean I guess it’s our business since Donghan said he’d be my business partner. But anyways he said he’s already got a couple of connections with some manufacturers and suppliers who could help bring our designs to life and everything. He even said he knew Kwon Hyunbin, can you believe it! He said Hyunbin was willing to help model our clothes once we get settled an-”

  
  
“Donghyun,” Youngmin’s sharp tone cut across Donghyun’s words coldly. The younger man looked at him, feeling slightly hurt and confused by the other’s reaction. “Donghyun, why did you do this?”

  
  
“What do you mean why did I do this?” Donghyun was feeling more upset now. “This is me taking one step closer to my dream! Min, you know I’ve been dreaming of being a designer since we met. Why is this such a surprise to you?”

  
  
Youngmin ran a hand through his hair tiredly. He looked like he didn’t quite know what to say and Donghyun started to feel nervous. “Why didn’t you talk to me about this?” He asked quietly. Donghyun knew that tone. It was the tone Youngmin used whenever he got upset, whenever he got angry. It was an icy, silent, fury that never failed to make Donghyun, or anyone on the receiving end really, fearful. But Donghyun was feeling just as upset this time and Youngmin’s tone only served to fuel his confusion and frustration.

  
  
“I thought it’d be a good surprise." He said, trying to stop the emotions he was feeling inside from spilling out into the open. "I thought you'd want to hear some good news after everything that's been thrown our way," The piles and piles of hospital bills, utility bills, rent reminders, loan repayments, suddenly looked a lot more intimidating and Donghyun found himself wishing he could throw them into a shredder.

  
  
"How would hearing that you just spent thousands on a business that might not even work out be good news?" Youngmin said, standing up from his seat. "We're up to our necks in payments, Donghyun. The kids' medical checks and their diapers and food, it's crazy. Didn't you think of that?"

  
  
"A business that might not even work out, huh?" Donghyun said, laughing hollowly. He pushed his chair back and stood up, grabbing the lease contract as he did so. "Nice to know that you have so much faith in me," He said bitterly, moving to walk past Youngmin.

  
  
"What the hell," Youngmin said angrily, grabbing Donghyun's arm and pulling him in front of him again. "You know that's not what I meant,"

  
  
"Then what did you mean?" Donghyun shouted. He tore his arm out of Youngmin's grasp. "God, I just thought I'd finally be helping out properly you know. And no, working random odd-jobs here and there while designing free-lance was jack shit compared to the money you were able to make for us. I regretted my degree at one point, you know?" He laughed lifelessly again. "I thought I could finally be a better father to Daehwi and Woojin, be able to finally say that I'm contributing something to this family. That we didn't just start this all without thinking it through properly, that we started this too soon-"

  
  
"But what if we did," Youngmin's quiet voice interrupted him again. Donghyun stared at him, not comprehending.

  
  
"What are you trying to say," Donghyun fought hard to keep his voice from wavering. He clenched his fists and stared straight into Youngmin's eyes, begging him silently not to say the words he didn't want to hear.

  
  
But Youngmin looked straight back at him with a look in his eyes that Donghyun couldn't quite read.

  
  
"Maybe we started all this too soon," Youngmin said quietly.

  
  
"All what?" But as the words left his mouth, Donghyun already knew the answer.

  
  
The two of them stared at each other. The air between them was thick with words and questions that neither one wanted to say. Donghyun felt his hands shake as he looked at the man he loved, felt himself reeling in disbelief as he absorbed the words he had just heard.

  
  
The sound of Daehwi's delighted giggles along with Woojin's nonsensical babbling broke Donghyun. His heart broke as he looked at his sons, seated on a mat with their toys and happily oblivious to the coldness in the air. Tearing his eyes away from them, he looked back at Youngmin.

  
  
"I think you're right,"

  
  
*****

  
  
"Im Youngmin,"

 

  
Sewoon's voice was icy and Youngmin fought the urge to hang up.

  
  
It had been 3 days since their fight and Donghyun hadn't come home. Donghyun had left without a word and Youngmin hated himself for not doing anything to stop him.

  
  
_But it was for the best._

  
  
Daehwi and Woojin were too young to understand what was going on but both of them started looking for Donghyun more. Woojin had cried for an hour the night of the fight, hiccuping and babbling out "Appa," as he refused to go to bed. Daehwi would squirm around in his arms, looking for Donghyun as well before Youngmin distracted him with a toy or with his milk bottle.

  
  
_I miss him too._

  
  
"Sewoon listen," Youngmin tried. But the other man wasn't having it.

  
  
"You both need to get your shit sorted out. Donghyun hasn't slept since I picked him up in tears 2 days ago. You haven't called since then, he refuses to tell me anything and I think I deserve to know what the hell happened between you two after third-wheeling you guys for most of my young adult life." Sewoon's voice was aggravated but Youngmin could detect his underlying concern.

  
  
"I'll... I'll meet you at our usual spot," Youngmin said. "I'll explain everything then."

  
  
Half an hour later, Youngmin was sitting across Sewoon at the cafe that they had spent the majority of their university life in. Major events had taken place in this little cafe, from the first time the Donghyun, Sewoon, and Youngmin pulled an all-nighter for their finals to the time Youngmin first met Donghyun. The rest of the memories were hazy around the edges but Youngmin could never forget the first time he had seen Donghyun smile that beautiful smile of his.

  
  
But sitting here now with Sewoon looking at him with a demanding gaze and mild hostility rolling off him in waves, the cafe suddenly felt unfamiliar. Colder. It made him uncomfortable. Deciding that he wasn't quite ready to say anything yet, Youngmin took a sip from his coffee to distract himself and break the tension in the air.

  
  
"Explain," Sewoon said, holding a squirming Daehwi in his arms. Woojin, thankfully, was asleep in the stroller.

  
  
"I told Donghyun we started this family too soon," Youngmin said, keeping his voice as level as possible. Whatever anger was left in Sewoon seemed to have dissipated at these words and he stared at Youngmin in pure unfiltered shock.

 

 

  
  
_"I think you're right.”_

  
  
_Donghyun’s words struck Youngmin to the core. No! You weren't supposed to agree like this! His mind screamed in protest. Youngmin swallowed._

  
  
_"So is this it then?" Youngmin forced himself to ask. The rest of his words remained unspoken, hanging in the air. But Youngmin knew that the two of them heard his insinuation perfectly clear._

  
  
_The betrayal and heartbreak in Donghyun’s eyes as he looked at Youngmin before leaving echoed the pain in Youngmin's own heart._

 

 

  
  
"You're a selfish asshole, you know that?" Sewoon growled. "Did you think you were saving Donghyun pain from choosing his dream over you? God, it's like you don't even know him!"

  
  
"Me?" Youngmin asked in disbelief. "Shouldn't you be saying this to him?

  
  
"Donghyun would pluck the stars out of the sky for you and I know this only because he literally said this to me when he got drunk during our sophomore year and he was pining over you," Sewoon looked at him, shaking his head. "You don't think that he would give up his dream, give up the money he's invested, give it all up to go back with you to Busan? I didn't think you were this big of an idiot, Youngmin."

  
  
"No," Youngmin said quietly. " You don't understand."

  
  
"Then make me," Sewoon's voice was sharp. It took little Daehwi by surprise and he started to whimper and squirm around even more.

  
  
"My dad... His condition worsened. My mom needed me back in Busan to help with the farm. Or take over." Youngmin stared at the table. "I hadn't told Donghyun because I knew he was still looking for a way to make ends meet in Seoul. And I knew he was talking to people about setting up a business here. But we were still trying to pay for the apartment, for the kids, for my dad's hospital bills. Money was tight."

  
  
"When he came home the other day and told me had spent almost half of his savings on the lease for his office, I was stunned. How could I take this shot at his dream away from him? How could I tell him to give up all the money he’s worked to save and come back to Busan where there's nothing for him?" Youngmin's voice was shaking now and he could feel Sewoon's gaze burning into him.

  
  
"So I said it. I said that this was too early, that maybe this was all a mistake. I wanted to give him a way out, a reason to let me go."

  
  
"This can't be all, Min," Sewoon's voice was gentler now and the use of his old nickname made Youngmin's resolve crumble further. He forced himself to look at Sewoon in the eyes.

  
  
"A week before, I got a letter saying that they wanted to take the kids back." Youngmin shook a little, from anger, from sadness, he wasn't quite sure. "The agency said they wanted to cancel the adoption because they didn't think that we were fit to raise both Daehwi and Woojin together. Not with me being the only one with a job. When we adopted them, Donghyun was still working at that little start-up. But when it went bust, Donghyun had nothing. The agency was aware of this, they kept tabs on us for the last few months to see if the condition would get better. But it didn't."

  
  
"If Donghyun knew, he would have been devastated. He would have blamed himself, worked himself to the bone. I didn't want that."

  
  
"They gave us two options. The first was to give the kids back. The second, was to keep just one. I know that Donghyun wouldn't have had accepted either option."

  
  
"But you did, didn't you?" Sewoon said quietly. Youngmin looked away, gaze settling on Woojin who was still sleeping soundly.

  
  
"I told them that we'd keep Woojin," He said, tears springing into his eyes. "I told them that Woojin had already started growing attached, knew our names. It would be easy for Daehwi to forget us, but not Woojin.

  
  
"I was going to tell Donghyun that night. I was going to send the confirmation letter to the agency but..." He choked a little and wiped at his eyes.

  
  
Sewoon didn't say anything for a whole minute. He stared at Youngmin with a gaze filled with pity and disappointment.

  
  
"I talked to Donghyun last night," He said softly. "He said that if that's what you wanted, then he'd respect that. You should have seen him, Min. I had never seen a man hate himself more than Donghyun hated himself last night. He blamed it on himself, that he was the reason you worked so late every night, the reason why you couldn't be with your family's business in Busan."

  
  
"What's ironic here is that you're both such a tragic fucking pair of martyrs, you'd both rather die than reach some kind of compromise." Sewoon laughed bitterly. "You're both trying so hard to do what's best for each other without even trying to know what it is exactly that you both need and look what happened."

  
  
"You can't decide everything alone, Min. You don't get to decide who stays or goes, whether Donghyun gives up his business or not. You can't assume to know that what you're doing is best for Donghyun too. You didn't give him a chance to decide, you didn't give him the chance to explain."

  
  
There was a pause as Sewoon took a deep breath. "I'm gonna convince him to go back to your place tonight. He needs to hear this himself." He looked at Youngmin in the eye. "I'm going to trust you to explain it all, Min. Everything you told me, I want him to know it all too."

  
  
"He's going to hate me," Youngmin breathed out shakily. His hands trembled slightly and he curled them into fists on top of his thighs.

  
  
"He'll be angry but he won't hate you," Sewoon said in a softer tone.

 

"Youngmin, I've never seen anyone love another person the way Donghyun loves you."

 

*****

 

Donghyun’s walk home from Sewoon’s place felt like the longest trip of his life. He couldn’t remember the last time he was truly angry at Youngmin. Sure, they would fight from time to time but it was never bad.

 

It was never  _this_ bad.

 

The words that Youngmin had thrown in his face a few nights back felt like they had come from a stranger’s mouth. It felt like that whole night was a nightmare and Donghyun was just barely starting to wake up from it.

 

As he slowly opened the door to their apartment, Donghyun could hear Youngmin’s exasperated voice pleading with Woojin to take a spoonful of food. Guilt bubbled up in the pit of his stomach as he realised he had left Youngmin to deal with the kids on his own without anyone else. Youngmin most likely had to take a day or two off work to take care of them. _Good job, Donghyun. Father of the year._ He screamed at himself mentally.

 

Pushing the door open a little wider, he stepped inside before shutting the door quietly. His footsteps were quiet but still caught the attention of Youngmin, who looked up. A myriad of emotions flashed across Youngmin’s face; surprise, relief, frustration.

 

Guilt.

 

“Youngmin, I-”

 

“APPA,” Woojin wailed at the sight of Donghyun and started making tiny grabbing motions towards him. Donghyun’s heart melted and he automatically took Woojin out of the highchair and into his arms. He could feel Youngmin’s gaze on him as he murmured words of reassurance and calmed Woojin down.

 

“We need to talk,” Youngmin said quietly, resting one hand on Donghyun’s shoulder. “Later, once the kids are in bed.” Donghyun felt a lump in his throat as Youngmin walked away towards Daehwi’s little crib.

 

As he carried Woojin and tried to get him to sleep, he couldn’t help but glance over every now and then towards where Youngmin was humming softly to Daehwi who was nestled in his arms. _Maybe I didn’t have to be selfish._ Donghyun thought regretfully.

 

The air was thick with tension and Donghyun found it difficult to concentrate on putting Woojin to bed when Youngmin was just a few feet away. He could still remember the way Youngmin had spoken to him that night, the disappointment in his eyes.

 

But it was okay. They were going to talk things through tonight.

 

It was all going to be fine.

 

“Listen,” Youngmin sighed, running a hand through his hair tiredly. He looked at Donghyun. “I’m really sorry about what I said that night. I didn’t mean it. You know I’d always support you and whatever you do,”

 

The two of them were sitting on the sofa now. Woojin and Daehwi had been put to bed, leaving the couple to deal with the aftermath of their fight.

 

Donghyun waved his hands, attempting to pass off Youngmin’s apology. If anyone had apologizing to do, it was him. “No, I should have talked to you first before I even signed the stupid contract. I just got so caught up in the moment I just… I’m sorry.” He looked down at his lap, not wanting to meet Youngmin’s gaze.

 

If he had looked at Youngmin, he would have seen the guilt that swam across Youngmin’s features before disappearing just as quickly.

 

“Donghyun,”

 

Youngmin’s tone was soft, quiet but was tinged with a hint of sorrow and Donghyun felt something unpleasant pooling in the pit of his stomach.

 

“Min? What is it?”

 

“I wanted to talk to you about this,” Youngmin said quietly, sliding a folded piece of paper onto Donghyun’s lap.

 

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Donghyun unfolded the paper and began reading the contents of the page. Shock, confusion, hurt and a hint of anger marred his expression and he lurched to his feet in response.

 

“No,” Was the only thing Donghyun could say. “No. No, Youngmin listen. We have to find a way to convince them, we ca-”

 

“Donghyun, no.” Youngmin’s tone was tired as it cut through Donghyun’s words. “You don’t think I’ve tried? You don’t think I’ve tried talking to th-”

 

“I’m not letting them take away our son, Youngmin.” Donghyun’s voice got louder and the defiance in his words would have convinced Youngmin that they could do it, that they could fight back against the agency if it wasn’t for Donghyun’s shaking hands and the tears that had sprung out from the corners of his eyes.

 

“They gave us time,” Youngmin said, looking at the floor. “They said they were waiting for us to get on our feet again. But it wasn’t happening. They don’t see us being able to take care of both of them.”

 

“So it was either Daehwi or Woojin,” Donghyun said bitterly, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried not to let himself get too riled up. “But how could you write back to them without talking to me first?” He waved the piece of paper in front of Youngmin.

 

“I just assumed you’d be on the same page as me,” Youngmin shot back, now on his feet as well. “I assumed you’d think it was also cruel to give up Woojin just as he started learning to call us his dads.”

 

“I guess we both assumed too many things about each other,” Donghyun laughed hollowly, crumpling up the piece of paper before throwing it to the floor. “Why didn’t you wait for me, Min? Maybe we could have foun-”

 

“THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!”

 

Youngmin’s shout stunned Donghyun into silence. Youngmin never shouted like this. The desperation in his voice made Donghyun feel even angrier as if Youngmin had decided to give up.

 

“You’ve given up,” He said out loud in disbelief. “You’re fine with our family losing a son.”

 

The hurt in Donghyun’s voice made Youngmin want to cry, to scream. In the years they had known each other, Youngmin had never heard this kind of hurt in Donghyun’s voice.

 

Donghyun had never been disappointed in him until now.

 

“The deal was,” Youngmin said, trying to keep his voice steady. “If I could find a full-time job, a proper paying job, we could keep Daehwi. If I couldn’t, we’d lose both of them. The only full-time job that I know they would have approved of was-”

 

“With your family’s fish farm in Busan,” Donghyun finished. “You’re telling me you want to give up Daehwi, give up our life in Seoul and run away back to Busan?”

 

“That’s not wha-”

 

“That’s exactly what you meant, Youngmin!” Donghyun cried out in frustration.

 

They looked at each other, anger emanating in waves off of both of them. The tension in the room made Youngmin feel like choking but he kept his gaze levelled with Donghyun’s. It seemed like an eternity before either of them spoke but when someone did, it was Donghyun.

 

“If you want to run away, then go.” Donghyun’s voice as he said this was quiet but Youngmin knew well enough to know that Donghyun was hiding his pain behind this cold facade. “If you want to take away Woojin, if you want to give up Daehwi, go ahead. But I’ll tell you this,”

 

“Just because you’ve given up on our dream doesn’t mean I have. They can take Daehwi away but I’m going to make damn sure that I find a way to get him back. With or without you.”

 

 

 

_-Now-_

 

“Dad, you ready to go?”

 

Donghyun fumbled with the ring he was holding and it dropped out of his hands. It bounced across his desk before hitting the small framed picture of him and Daehwi from a couple years back. He hadn’t meant to dredge up those memories again. He had found the ring box while he was clearing out his closet and couldn’t stop the memories from drowning him again.

 

Standing up quickly, he dusted off some non-existent dust off his pants in an attempt to look casual and relaxed before giving Daehwi a smile and waving him off ahead. “Let me just grab my wallet and keys, you can go wait by the lift.”

 

Daehwi rolled his eyes, “You were daydreaming again, I know it. We’re gonna be late if you don’t hurry!” He sang as he flounced out of the room.

 

After Daehwi had left, Donghyun let out a sigh before glancing back at the ring on his desk. He felt something rise up in his chest but quickly pushed the feeling away. He put the ring back into its box before locking it away in the bottom drawer of his desk.

 

He’d tell Daehwi.

 

One day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter will be happier, i swear
> 
> scream at me on twitter @[taemintys](https://twitter.com/taemintys)!
> 
> \- kwonjis


	10. kiss the cook

_He observed as the pencil moved skilfully across the blank paper, sketching out dark lines and thin lines. Some were curved, others quick strokes that barely left marks. It was a warm July morning and Youngmin was happy to feel the cold wind of the air-conditioner fanning against his face as he stared at the artist beside him. The other man picked out a light green colouring pencil, running it in horizontal motions to form a light base of what looked like grass._

 

_“Why do you keep watching me?”  he asked softly, not looking up from his drawing._

 

_Youngmin hummed, reaching over to play with the strand of hair that covered his forehead. They had gone to a hair salon just two days ago and Donghyun had dyed it black. He wanted to look ‘presentable’ when he met Youngmin’s parents, but Youngmin had assured him he had nothing to worry about._

 

_“You look handsome when you draw,” Youngmin replied, smiling at the blush that appeared on Donghyun’s cheeks._

 

_Donghyun swatted at his arm. “Shut up,” but there was no animosity in his tone. He closed his sketchbook and tucked it under his arm as he packed away his pencils. When he was done, he curled up beside Youngmin and nuzzled into his side._

 

_Youngmin stretched his arm over Donghyun’s shoulders and tapped a little rhythm against his sleeve._

 

_“Do you think they’ll like me?” Donghyun whispered, struggling to keep his eyes open. They had left their university dorm at four in the morning to catch their train, which was why they were both exhausted._

 

_Youngmin looked down at the younger boy, watching the rise and fall of his chest as his breathing evened out. He intertwined their fingers together and placed them in his lap. Youngmin leaned his head on top of Donghyun’s, but not before pressing a kiss against his temple._

 

_“They’ll love you.”_

 

_Youngmin closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep in the sea of endless chatter that continued around the peaceful couple._

 

“LAAAAA!!!”

 

Youngmin jolted awake at the scream. Blinding light met his eyes and he rubbed at them, trying to grasp the situation.

 

“TIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!”

 

“DOOOOO!!!!”

 

As Youngmin’s eyes adjusted, he realized that Jaehwan and Woojin were just having another one of their high note battles. There was a warmth by his side, and Youngmin’s heart leapt for a millisecond before he remembered that it was Haknyeon, who had immediately plugged in his noise-cancelling earphones and slipped on an eye mask the moment they sat down in their seats.

 

_Not Donghyun, you idiot._

 

An uncomfortable pang of guilt struck at his heart at the dream-- no, memory that he was having only moments ago. It happened a bit more often that he would like, and he was certain that this trip to Seoul was going to be even more painful.

 

 _It’s for Woojin_ , he reminded himself. He wasn’t going to ruin this trip for his son.

 

Youngmin tossed a ball of tissue at Jaehwan. “Be quiet,” he hissed. “You’ll wake up everyone else on this train.”

 

Woojin bounced on his seat, shooting a look at Haknyeon. “That’s uh, kind of the point.” He flopped back onto his seat, letting his limbs dangle over the armrests.

 

Youngmin leaned back against his neck pillow and checked his watch. They were scheduled to arrive at Seoul Station in a couple of minutes. Looking down at Haknyeon’s sleeping form, Youngmin brushed his hand over his cheek lightly. Haknyeon stirred, pulling off his eye mask and headphones.

 

“Are we here?” he mumbled, craning his neck up to kiss Youngmin’s cheek. He heard Jaehwan fake-gagging again and ignored him.

 

“Ye-”

 

“Look, Jaehwan! Haknyeon drooled on Dad’s shoulder!” Woojin cried.

 

“Ew! That’s so nasty!”

 

Youngmin closed his eyes and sighed as Haknyeon glared daggers at Woojin and Jaehwan started cackling.

 

It was going to be one hell of a trip.

 

*****

 

Woojin had never stayed in a hotel before. Youngmin told him beforehand that he wasn’t allowed to ride the birdcage trolleys that the bellboys put their luggage on, but it didn’t stop Jaehwan, who told Youngmin that he was ‘a grown-ass man who can make responsible decisions for himself’.

 

Youngmin got them two rooms on the fifteenth floor, and when Woojin slid the card into the slot and opened the door, his jaw dropped. Jaehwan made a beeline for the bathroom and began to hoot about the bathtub and mini-fridge, while Woojin’s feet moved on autopilot. He stared around the room, stunned by the size of the bed, the pristine white sheets and fluffy pillows, the TV mounted on the wall.

 

He looked back at Youngmin, who was opening the door across the hall to his and Haknyeon’s room. “This is really my room?” It was almost impossible to believe.

 

Youngmin nodded. “Don’t break anything, or Jaehwan’s paying for it.”

 

“Okay, _Dad,_ ” Jaehwan hollered from inside the bathroom. Youngmin rolled his eyes and entered his room. Woojin stepped over to the window, spreading the curtains wide. He gasped as he took in the sight of the city. Buildings stretched for miles into the horizon. Cars whizzed back and forth on the highways, and people were bustling about on the streets beneath, like tiny ants.

 

Jaehwan came up behind him. “Wow, that’s some view.”

 

Woojin pressed his hands up to the window. Somewhere out there, amidst the countless buildings and skyscrapers, was Donghyun. His heart leapt at the thought of meeting him again.

 

Their doorbell sounded, and Jaehwan went to answer the door. It turned out to be just Youngmin and Haknyeon, who were ready for lunch. Haknyeon had Youngmin’s hand clasped tightly in his.

 

“Woojin, are you okay to go out with Jaehwan after lunch?” Youngmin asked as Woojin approached the door.

 

“Hell yeah he is!” Jaehwan shouted.

 

“Wait what? Where are you going?” interrupted Woojin. He was supposed to go sightseeing with his father. Youngmin was supposed to show him all the old spots that he used to visit and Woojin was hoping that maybe he’d be reminded of Donghyun again.

 

Haknyeon smiled smugly. “We’re meeting some of my friends, of course! You and Jaehwan can fool around for the rest of the day and oh, we might be out for dinner too.” Haknyeon winked at Youngmin and Woojin tried his best not to roll his eyes.

 

Jaehwan shrugged and started towards the elevator. “Whatever. Just make sure you’re not too noisy tonight. Wouldn’t want to wake up Woojin, would ya?” He laughed as Youngmin choked on his spit and Haknyeon’s face turned a satisfying shade of red.

 

Lunch was good, but Woojin was much too invested in texting Daehwi under the table to pay much attention to the food. His brother had yelled for a whole minute straight when Woojin had told him that he was going to Seoul and nearly destroyed Woojin’s eardrums.

 

**_To: hwihwihwi_ **

_im eating lunch now_

 

**_From: hwihwihwi_ **

_You’re eating lunch and texting??? Smh where are your manners_

 

**_To: hwihwihwi_ **

_lol soz we just got here and its not like haknyeons any better ugh he keeps tryin to spoon feed youngmin :(_

 

**_From: hwihwihwi_ **

**__ **

**_To: hwihwihwi_  **

****

_...o dang my dads calling me out imma text u later k_

 

**_From: hwihwihwi_ **

_Okay!!!! I can’t wait to see you again <3 _

 

**_To: hwihwihwi_ **

:))

 

“Who are you texting?” Youngmin took a sip from his drink.

 

Woojin snapped his head up. “Uhm...one of my friends from camp! He lives here in Seoul!” It wasn’t a total lie. Daehwi was his friend, wasn’t he?

 

Jaehwan, as usual, quickly changed the subject. “Woojin and I are gonna head out now, okay? We have a lot of Seoul to explore and not a lot of time to do it! Thanks for the lunch, Youngmin.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood up, tugging on Woojin’s sleeve.

 

“Oh, uh...yeah!” he said, standing up quickly. His knee collided with the table and he winced.

 

Youngmin waved at them as they exited the restaurant. “Don’t go anywhere dangerous! Call me if there’s anything wrong, okay?”

 

Woojin hovered back for a moment and gave Youngmin one last smile. Don’t worry, he mouthed.

 

The Seoul streets were busy and Woojin trailed behind Jaehwan, careful not to get lost as he admired the buildings around him. This was where he could’ve grown up, he realized. He could have been a city boy, with Daehwi. They could have lived in a high rise apartment or something, and he would’ve gone to school with him and Samuel, and he would dream of lazy holidays by the beaches in Busan. He would’ve had a Seoul accent too. The thought made him snigger.

 

“So where are we going?”

 

Jaehwan glanced behind his shoulder. “Wherever the wind takes us, my friend.”

 

The answer was very Jaehwan-esque of him and Woojin was not surprised by his friend’s lack of planning skills. Woojin jogged up to match his pace. “Let’s go see the Han River.”

 

“What is with you and the water? Honestly,” Jaehwan huffed, but he took his phone out to search for directions anyway.

 

They ended up taking the train (it was a few stops over and thankfully they didn’t get lost or end up anywhere shady), and Woojin sent a quick selfie to Daehwi, who replied with a series of happy emojis.

 

Woojin and Jaehwan spent a lovely few hours by the river, eating junk food on the grass, petting some dogs, playing basketball with some other teenagers. Jaehwan sat the game out, claiming that he didn't want to make any kids cry when he beat them (Woojin knew he was just being lazy).

 

Jaehwan suggested they explore the streets of Seoul, and Woojin agreed, keeping his phone out to snap pictures for remembrance. He didn't know if he was  ever going to get the chance to see this place again.

 

“Imagine living in one of these fancy apartments,” Woojin commented, staring up at one.

 

“If I owned one these, I wouldn't be bumming around your house all day.” An image of Jaehwan surrounded by piles of gold and silver and expensive guitars flashed before Woojin’s eyes.

 

They walked for another block, turning into one of the little side streets. They meandered aimlessly along the shops, pausing occasionally to check out the prices of clothes and trinkets or to try on quirky hats and sunglasses. At the end of the street, closer to the main road, was a cafe. From the outside it was very ordinary looking, with wooden tables lined up along the window and a chalkboard menu propped outside the door. There was something intriguing about it, and Woojin suddenly felt the strange urge to go inside. He tugged on Jaehwan’s sleeve.

 

“Do you want some coffee?” he asked, pointing to the cafe.

 

Jaehwan pondered the question. “Sure. I didn’t peg you for the hipster coffee shop type though.”

 

There was a tinkling of a windchime as Woojin pushed the door open. He was instantly hit with a wave of scents: coffee, citrus air freshener, something baking--cookies, perhaps? The wooden furniture and pillows gave the interior a very homey vibe, and Woojin decided that he liked it already.

 

“Hi!” A man behind the counter smiled at them. He was Youngmin’s age, or probably a bit older, with a flowery apron tied around his body. _Yoon Jisung_ , read his name tag.

 

“One vanilla latte for me, and for the kid…” Jaehwan looked at Woojin and gestured to the menu.

 

Woojin scanned it quickly. “A blueberry cheesecake.”

 

Jisung noted down their orders, and turned to the back to start working. While Jaehwan was admiring the decor, Woojin spotted a cork board that they had passed upon entry. There were pieces of paper pinned up, messages written between friends, quotes, phone numbers,  a poem or two. Woojin lifted up a post-it to read some of the older things. A particular one caught his attention, song lyrics written in handwriting that slanted slightly to the left.

 

_Tonight, I’m holding onto you_

_Tonight, holding onto you_

_When you collect the stars_

_They become constellations_

_If we connect our memories_

_Will it become love again someday?_

 

“Woojin!” Jaehwan called. “Your cheesecake.” He took his coffee and headed for a seat by the window, and Woojin walked up to the counter to retrieve his cheesecake. Jisung smiled at him, his elbow propped up next to the coffee bean grinder.

 

“I see you were reading those old song lyrics,” he said.

 

Woojin paused. “Do you normally keep all the things people pin up on the board?”

 

“Just the good ones,” Jisung answered. “Funny jokes, random things, romantic lyrics. I’m especially a sucker for those.”’

 

There was something in the way Jisung talked, a comfortability and gentleness that set Woojin at ease. He seemed to be a very sweet person.

 

“Do you know the story behind those lyrics? They’re a bit sad.”

 

A look passed over Jisung’s face and his smile disappeared for a second. But then it returned, although there was something bittersweet in his expression.  “It was a complicated relationship, that one.” Now he wasn’t even looking at Woojin, but at something in the distance.

 

“Was? So they never got back together?” Woojin asked.

 

Jisung shook his head. “I’m afraid not. A shame, though. They were as pure as young love could be, and both of them always had stars in their eyes whenever they looked at each other.”

 

Woojin took a bite of his cheesecake and chewed slowly. “That’s too bad.”

 

“I agree,” Jisung replied, heading over to take the next customer’s order. “I hope you find someone that loves you the way those lovebirds loved each other. Enjoy your cheesecake!”

 

Woojin waved, taking his plate and seating himself across Jaehwan. Jaehwan took a sip of his coffee and peered at him. “What was that about?”

 

Woojin sliced another piece of cheesecake and popped it into his mouth. “Just making small talk. Jisung’s a really nice dude.”

 

The both of them fell into silence, Woojin thinking about nothing in particular as he finished up his cheesecake and scrolled through people’s Snapchat stories and his Instagram feed. It was nice to see what everyone from the camp was up to. Samuel posted a dance cover in his bedroom, Seonho was apparently eating nothing but burgers for the whole week, Hyungseob was studying with Euiwoong, and Jihoon was playing that new video game that the both of them had talked about the other day.

 

He was so busy typing out a response to send to Jihoon that he almost missed it.

 

“One caramel macchiato for Mr. Kim Donghyun, please.”

 

Woojin straightened in his seat at such an alarming speed that he toppled over Jaehwan’s empty cup. Jaehwan barely caught it before it hit the ground and glared up at Woojin.

 

“Woojin? What the he-” Woojin reached over and slapped a hand over his mouth, signalling for him to be quiet. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw a black-haired man in a suit at the register, talking to Jisung. It obviously wasn’t his father, but his heart was hammering against his chest nonetheless.

 

_Kim Donghyun._

 

“And an iced americano for Donghan?” Jisung asked. “He’s so predictable.”

 

The man in the suit chuckled. “He’s always been a picky eater.” They exchanged a few sentences and laughed about something before Jisung went to prepare the drinks.

 

Woojin looked at Jaehwan, eyes wide. “He said Kim Donghyun, Jaehwan. He just took an order. For Kim Donghyun. As in...my dad.”

 

Jaehwan studied the office worker carefully, a skeptical frown on his face. “I dunno, Wooj. There’s probably a bunch of Kim Donghyuns running around Seoul.”

 

Woojin discreetly looked back. The man was typing away on his phone. Jaehwan was right of course, but Woojin had always been a stubborn kid and maybe a tad too hopeful. He wasn’t just going to let the opportunity of a lifetime slip away.

 

“Let’s follow him,” Woojin suggested.

 

Jaehwan stared at him as if he had suddenly grown a beard and two antlers. “We can’t just stalk some random guy just because he’s on a coffee run for someone who shares the same name as your other dad. Are you crazy?”

 

“See you later, Gwanghyun! Tell the boys I said hi!” Woojin and Jaehwan watched as Jisung handed over the drinks and ruffled the man’s hair. The younger man rolled his eyes with a fond smile.

 

“Will do, hyung. Thanks as usual!” The man bid farewell to Jisung and walked out the door, leaving the windchime rattling in his wake.

 

Woojin stood up, grinning down at a bewildered Jaehwan.

 

“Just a little bit.”

 

He ignored Jaehwan’s protests and exited onto the street, but it was more crowded than before and Woojin couldn’t see very well over the top of people’s heads. Jaehwan stumbled out the door a few moments later, huffing.

 

“There!” He pointed, and Woojin glimpsed the side profile of Gwanghyun as he disappeared around the corner. He was headed for the main street.

 

Woojin turned the opposite way and went around the side of the coffee shop, jumping over a stray cat as he sprinted through the narrow alley. Jaehwan was close behind, his footsteps loud against the concrete. When the two of them emerged at the main road, Woojin spotted Gwanghyun crossing the street and gestured for Jaehwan to follow.

 

They kept a good distance away from Gwanghyun, with their phones out to look preoccupied if he ever turned around. All the while, Woojin was nervously fiddling. Even in the smallest chance that he did get to meet Donghyun, what was he supposed to say?

 

They trailed him for a good two blocks before he turned into one of the buildings. It was tall and grand, with tinted windows that reflected the blue sky. Woojin craned his neck up, wondering which floor his father was working on. If he was there, of course.

 

He looked at Jaehwan. “This is it.”

 

Jaehwan held the door open. “After you, sir.”

 

The people in the lobby were all very well dressed, Woojin noticed. Men in crisp suits and smooth ties, women in heels and smart-looking dresses. He glanced down at his own attire, shorts and an old t-shirt that he’s had for years. It explained the glances they were receiving from some of the business people.

 

The duo approached the receptionist, a cheerful-looking fellow with big eyes and thick lips. Yehyeon, said the little plaque that rested on the top of his desk. Woojin nudged Jaehwan.

 

“Quick, ask him about Donghyun,” he whispered.

 

Jaehwan’s eyes widened. “What? Me? What am I supposed to say?”

 

Woojin rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll take care of it.” He strode up to the receptionist’s desk and leaned on it with his arms and pulled on his best innocent face.

 

“Hello there!” greeted Yehyeon. “What can I help you fellas with today?”

 

Woojin smiled sweetly at him. “Hi, do you perhaps know which floor the, um…” he glanced down at the scribble on his hand, “2KDH Headquarters happen to be on?”

 

Yehyeon halted his typing and looked up at Woojin, and alarms began ringing in his head. Was he not subtle enough? Was this mission going to be a total failure because of him? Was it the t-shirt and shorts?

 

To his relief and slight confusion, Yehyeon laughed good-naturedly with a hand over his chest. “You’re standing in it, sweetheart.”

 

Woojin and Jaehwan blinked.

 

“This entire building is 2KDH’s headquarters.”

 

“...Shit,” Jaehwan whispered, and Woojin stepped on his foot. He let Yehyeon’s words sink in. Daehwi had mentioned something about living in a penthouse, but he didn’t think he was _that_ rich. Donghyun owned a whole building too?

 

“So,” Yehyeon said, a smile still on his face. “Are you looking for someone in particular? I could help you find them.”

 

Woojin paused. He couldn’t very well say he was looking for the CEO, now could he?

 

Jaewhan coughed. “Oh, would you look at the time!” he glanced down at the non-existent watch on his wrist. “We gotta go, kid, to that...appointment…with your...chiropractor.”

 

Yehyeon tilted his head, confused, and Woojin nodded quickly. “Ah! You’re right!” he grimaced as if he were in pain. “Gotta get my back checked.”

 

The two of them drifted slowly from the receptionist’s desk until they were out of earshot.

 

“Dang,” Woojin whispered. “I had no idea Dad was this loaded.”

 

“Donghyun’s got the money AND the looks? If he’s still single maybe I’ll snatch him from Youngmin,” Jaehwan joked. He knew he was kidding, but Woojin froze.

 

Jaehwan noticed the change of expression and waved his hands quickly. “Haha I’m kidding, Wooj! Come on.”

 

Woojin laughed weakly. “Haha, you got me there,” he said, elbowing Jaehwan lightly. They were almost to the entrance of the building when a shrill voice interrupted them.

 

“PARK WOOJIN, IS THAT YOU?” someone shrieked.

 

Jaehwan grabbed his arm and was ready to bolt, whispering something under his breath about the cops or the mafia finally coming for them when Woojin turned around and saw none other than his little brother, Lee Daehwi, standing by the elevators and waving his arms like a madman.

 

“Daehwi?!” He was also dressed nicely in a fancy looking coat.

 

Woojin shook Jaehwan’s arm off and ran towards him. Daehwi squealed again and pushed a random guy out of the way as he also ran towards Woojin. They met in the middle of the lobby, underneath the massive chandelier that hung high up on the ceiling. Woojin lifted Daehwi up and spun him, his younger brother laughing delightedly.

 

“I-I thought...we were supposed to meet in two days!” Woojin said as he set Daehwi back on the floor.

 

Daehwi held up a paper bag. “I was gonna surprise Dad by bringing him some homemade lunch, but it turns out he’s offsite for a photoshoot. But more importantly, what are you doing here?”

 

Jaehwan approached them, and Woojin waved him over. “Daehwi, this is Jaehwan. Jaehwan, this is my little brother, Daehwi.”

 

Jaehwan’s eyes widened as he took in Daehwi’s appearance. “Wow, he’s so...mature! Are you sure he’s younger than you?”

 

Daehwi laughed as Woojin flicked Jaehwan’s ear. “I’m joking, Woojin. Kind of. Anyway, it’s a pleasure to meet Youngmin’s other offspring,” Jaehwan said, shaking Daehwi’s hand. Woojin saw the way Daehwi’s eyes lit up at the mention of Youngmin’s name.

 

“Is he here? Can I meet him?”

 

Jaehwan and Woojin exchanged a glance. He was so eager to meet Youngmin, and Woojin hated to see him disappointed. He sighed.

 

“He’s not with us, actually. Haknyeon captured him and dragged him off somewhere, so Jaehwan and I are free for the whole day.”

 

Daehwi deflated and stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. “Boo, that whore.” Jaehwan laughed, slapping Daehwi’s shoulder.

 

“I like this kid already!”

 

They began walking towards the entrance again when Daehwi gasped and grabbed Woojin’s shoulders. “I just had the greatest idea.”

 

The glint in his eye was back, the same glint he had back at camp when he first told Woojin about his brilliant master plan.

 

“You guys should totally have dinner at my house!”

 

Woojin looked at Jaehwan. “I...could we really?” He’d heard about Daehwi’s house from Samuel, whose gestures made it seem very grand and fancy when he was talking about it. Woojin was more than curious, naturally. Maybe he’d find out more about Donghyun too.

 

Daehwi nodded enthusiastically, his fringe bouncing as he did so. “Of course! What kind of brother would I be if I didn’t let you come over? Anyway, Dad’s probably not going to be back until tomorrow, so we still have time to plan out the big surprise without him knowing.”

 

Woojin grinned. “Well then, little bro. Lead the way.”

 

*****

 

“You guys live in a _penthouse_?” Jaehwan’s eyes were bulging out of their sockets. “The cost of one of those is probably, like, more than my life savings.”

 

“That’s such a lie,” Woojin said, as they entered the elevator and Daehwi swiped his key card and pressed the top floor button. “You don’t even have savings, you shopaholic.” As far as Woojin was concerned, Jaehwan spent all his money on food and the occasional change of clothing. His house had the bare minimum of furniture, but Jaehwan insisted it was ‘minimalist decor’.

 

Jaehwan held an offended hand to his chest. “I do too! It’s not much...but I do have money in my bank account!”

 

Daehwi watched the two bicker with an amused smile. “That reminds me, Sewoon might be home. I’m so excited for you guys to meet him!”

 

There was a small ‘ding’ of the elevator as it reached the floor, and it opened into a dark hallway. “Sewoon’s the best,” Daehwi said, slipping off his shoes. “He’s funny, and smart, and he gives great advice!”

 

As Daehwi was talking and walking, Woojin was staring at the framed pictures that lined the hallway. They were all of Daehwi, from a cute toddler picture of him standing by a phone, to his elementary school graduation, and then to one of him singing on a stage. It was strange, though. Only one side of the hallway had pictures on it.

 

Suddenly, there was a voice that rang through the air, a melodic voice that startled Woojin out of his thoughts.

 

“When I’m drunk in the morning, I’m calling you~~you might be lonely, loNELY~~~~”

 

The mysterious singer held the last note as the trio stepped into the light, and Woojin blinked at the sight before him.

 

A man, probably around Jaehwan’s age or so, was sprawled on a black leather couch wearing nothing but a wine red bathrobe with a guitar in hand, strumming with his eyes closed. There was a half eaten cup of pudding next to him, and his fluffy, slipper-clad feet were propped up on a marble coffee table.

 

From his peripheral vision, Woojin could see Jaehwan’s jaw drop to the floor. Jaehwan immediately began harmonising with the robed man on that last prolonged note and the stranger’s eyes opened, startled by the sudden voice.

 

“Sewoon!” Daehwi chided, striding up to the man and shoving his feet off the table. He gasped. “Is that _wine_? In the afternoon?” Sure enough, there was a glass of liquid the same color as his bathrobe perched on the edge of the table.

 

Sewoon rolled his eyes. “Daehwi. It’s my inspiration juice,” he said, swinging around his pudding cup.

 

Woojin felt Jaehwan grab his wrist and when Woojin turned to look at him, his mouth was still hanging open.

 

“I think I’m in love,” he whispered, staring at Sewoon.

 

It was that moment when Sewoon looked over at them. “And whomst might these fellows be?” There was a faint flush on his cheeks and Woojin wondered how much he had drunk already.

 

“I’m-”

 

“That’s my brother, you dumb fish,” Daehwi grinned. “It’s Woojin.”

 

A heavy silence settled upon them and Woojin stood still. Sewoon paused and stood up, frowning. “That’s not right,” he mumbled. “Woojin’s in Busan. With Youngmin.” The bathrobe swished around his knees as he walked towards Woojin.

 

Woojin looked up into Sewoon’s eyes as the man leaned down over him and grabbed his face, tilting his head to inspect him at different angles. “Youngmin would never come back…” he whispered, so softly that Woojin must’ve been the only one who heard.

 

Sewoon’s thumb pushed the corner of Woojin’s lip up, and his breath hitched as the snaggletooth came into view. His hands fell to his sides in disbelief and Sewoon stood frozen for a solid minute.

 

“You were so tiny when I last saw you.”

 

There were tears starting to form in Sewoon’s eyes, and Woojin smiled gently. Sewoon swooped down and pulled him in for a hug, squeezing him so tight that he couldn’t breathe. “Your snaggletooth was just starting to grow,” he mumbled.

 

“Put some clothes on!” Daehwi shrieked, covering his eyes.

Sewoon chuckled and tugged down the back of his bathrobe, which had ridden up when he bent over to hug Woojin. He glanced at Jaehwan, whose cheeks turned an interesting shade of red that Woojin had never seen before on his friend.

 

Sewoon looked up at Jaehwan and straightened his posture. “And you are…?”

 

“Kim Jaehwan,” Jaehwan replied quickly, thrusting his hand out and grinning. “I’m Youngmin’s...good friend.”

 

Sewoon accepted Jaehwan’s hand and there was a moment of odd tension in the air as the two of them looked at each other. Jaehwan was smiling brightly but Sewoon’s lips were pursed into a tight line, and Woojin could tell he was sizing Jaehwan up.

 

“You have a beautiful voice,” Jaehwan blurted, and Sewoon blinked, dropping the other man’s hand instantly.

 

He scratched the back of his neck. “Oh...um, thanks. You’re...not that bad, either.”

 

Jaehwan beamed. While Sewoon turned and walked towards Daehwi he yelled, “And you have a cute butt too!”

 

Woojin facepalmed as Sewoon sped up, picking up his wine glass and downing the rest of its contents in one go. He handed it to a highly amused Daehwi before disappearing through a door.

 

“He is _such_ a cutie,” Jaehwan said, giddy with excitement as he sat down on the chaise lounge. “Did you see how flustered he got just now?”

 

Daehwi laughed as he picked up Sewoon’s guitar and propped it against the wall. “I didn’t expect him to be home so early, actually.”

 

With Sewoon gone, Woojin had time to look around the spacious loft. Large windows spanned the entire left wall from top to bottom and the late afternoon sunlight filled the house with a warm glow. There was a corner with an assortment of plants in clay pots and a messily drawn sign that read ‘Donghwi’s Herb Garden.’ On the far end of the room was a staircase and a bunch of bookshelves, and the right opened up into the dining area, although Woojin could see a kitchen through the archway.

 

“Wow,” he whistled. “Your house is so nice.” He sat down on the sofa and wiggled his toes on the plush carpet.

 

Daehwi headed into the kitchen to dispose of the pudding cup. “Thanks! Dad worked really, really hard to buy it. I had to go through a bunch of Pinterest boards when we first moved in because I was super picky on the decorating.”

 

“Well, I’d say you did a pretty amazing job,” Woojin told him. He wasn’t big on interior design, but he could tell that every piece of furniture was chosen very carefully. The geometric patterns on their pillows matched the oddly shaped table lamps.

 

Daehwi poked his head back from behind the wall. “You think? Maybe if I don’t end up becoming a composer I could look into design or something.”

 

“Yeah, totally! You could design a fancy apartment in Itaewon for you and Jinyoung-” He cackled as Daehwi sprinted across the room and leapt on top of him, slapping his hands over his mouth.

 

“Shut up shut up shut up or I’ll tell Jihoon that you have a major thing for him-”

 

“I do NOT have a thing for Park Jihoon!”

 

“We’re making tacos!” Sewoon hollered, fully dressed and holding a bag of tortillas. He waved them around and gestured to the kitchen. “Come on.”

 

*****

 

Woojin didn’t realize that making tacos could be so embarassing, but Jaehwan kept trying to hit on Sewoon and it was, frankly, very uncomfortable for him and Daehwi.

 

“You know,” Jaehwan said, leaning on the kitchen island while Sewoon chopped some onions, “I have an apron back home that says ‘kiss the cook'.”

 

“That’s great,” Sewoon answered dryly, turning away from Jaehwan to check on the meat. “But this isn’t your kitchen, and you’re not even wearing it.”

 

Beside Woojin, he could see Daehwi trying to hold in his laughter as he washed the tomatoes.

 

Jaehwan wasn’t even fazed, and Woojin had to admit, his straightforwardness was almost admirable. “But theoretically, if I _was_ wearing it…”

 

“...No,” came the curt reply. Daehwi snorted.

 

Woojin’s phone buzzed on the countertop and a picture of Youngmin flashed on the screen. He set down the spoon he was holding and wiped his hands before picking up.

 

“Hey Dad.” Daehwi’s head snapped up.

 

“Woojin! Have you eaten dinner yet? Haknyeon and I are still out so…” In the background, he could hear people laughing and the clinking of glasses. Daehwi shuffled closer and pressed his ear against Woojin’s phone. He closed his eyes and gripped Woojin’s sleeve tightly.

 

“We’re just about to eat, actually.”

 

Youngmin sighed in relief. “That’s good. Did you have fun today?”

 

Woojin glanced over his shoulder at Sewoon and Jaehwan who were bickering something and then down at Daehwi, who was still listening intently.

 

“Yeah. We went to the Han River and walked around the city and stuff. I ate cheesecake at a nice cafe.”

 

“You should take me there, then.” A voice from the other end interrupted them, no doubt Haknyeon, and all Woojin could hear were incomprehensible mumbles until Youngmin’s voice returned.

 

“Looks like I gotta go, buddy. See you later at the hotel, okay?”

 

Woojin nodded, but then realized that he was on a phone call and his father couldn’t see him. “I love you, Dad,” he added quickly, just before Youngmin could hang up.

 

“...I love you too, Woojin. Stay safe.”

 

When the phone line clicked and Woojin lowered his hand, Daehwi was staring at him with wide eyes that were shimmering with unshed tears. In a panic, Woojin set his phone down and wiped Daehwi’s tears with a tissue before Sewoon or Jaehwan noticed.

 

“Why are you crying?” he asked.

 

Daehwi took a shaky breath and calmed himself down. “He just sounds...so amazing, Wooj. I can’t wait to meet him.”

 

Woojin opened his mouth to respond when Jaehwan grabbed them both and held them to his chest. The two kids exchanged confused looks as Jaehwan began caressing their heads, patting their hair comfortingly.

 

“Soon, my children,” he whispered.

 

 _Soon_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry this took awhile but hey, its EXTRA LONG and a lot of stuff happened and personally it was one of my faves to write so far. thank you for being patient with us and wow we got over 4k hits???? i'm shook???? thank you guys so much <3
> 
> also, for those of you who were wondering, those lyrics in jisung's cafe are from the song holding onto you by sung sikyung, the very song that inspired this ENTIRE FIC. you guys should go listen to it for some nice emo times. 
> 
> leave a comment (because I'd love to know what you guys thought about this chap) or scream about it on twitter because kwonjis and i (takadactyl) are always lurking around HAHA. have a good day!


	11. it's fun to mess with the public a little

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhhh, so this took quite a while and i'm sorry :( but i hope you enjoy! and thanks for all the love and support ❤

When Daehwi woke up the next morning, he could smell the faint scent of bacon and eggs wafting up from downstairs. Dragging himself down the stairs, he yawned and blinked blearily as he spotted Donghyun wearing the same apron that Sewoon had been wearing just the night before.

 

Memories from last night overcame him and he felt a warm, pleasant feeling rush through him as he thought fondly of Woojin and Jaehwan. The house had never been as noisy as it had been when Woojin and Jaehwan were over and the realization made Daehwi’s heart ache slightly.

 

“Morning, dad,” Daehwi said mid-yawn as he hugged Donghyun from behind. He felt his father stiffen slightly at first, most likely out of surprise but felt him relax once he realized it was just Daehwi.

 

Donghyun reached around awkwardly with the hand not holding the spatula and patted Daehwi gently. “Good morning,” He said. Daehwi let him go and watched for a bit as he flipped the bacon over. “Did Sam come over last night? I saw tons of dishes on the dish rack, you boys must have been really hungry.” Donghyun commented.

 

Images of Jaehwan and Woojin inhaling taco after taco during last night’s impromptu eating contest came to mind and Daehwi fought the urge to giggle. “Yeah, Sam was _really_ hungry.”

 

As Donghyun finished up the bacon and eggs, Daehwi started setting the table for the two of them. He could still hear Woojin’s screeching laughter and Sewoon’s disgruntled mutterings about Jaehwan being a little overly friendly in his head and he smiled to himself.

 

“So, are you still stopping by today? I’ve got a bunch of meetings in the morning but Gwanghyun can keep you company until I’m done.” Donghyun said before taking a large spoonful of food.

 

“Yeah, I can probably come with you as soon as we’re done with breakfast,” Daehwi said before taking a sip of his orange juice. “Uncle Donghan said he wanted me to listen to the music you guys were gonna use for your next fashion show.”

 

“In a few years time we could be having you as the musical director for our shows,” Donghyun teased lightly. “Your teachers all said you have amazing potential.” Daehwi couldn’t help but preen slightly at this praise and he sat up a little straighter.

 

“Yeah, you won’t need to hire expensive directors anymore. You can just pay me in food and new clothes,” Daehwi joked back.

 

“I think I might go bankrupt if I do that.”

 

“Dad!”

 

*****

 

Daehwi loved going to Donghyun’s office. The novelty of his first visit never quite wore off.

 

When he was younger, he had loved how big the building was and how pretty the entire office looked. Although he still loved the gorgeous interior of the building, he now learned to appreciate how busy the office was. As the son of one of the co-founders, Daehwi was able to visit all the different departments and observe what was happening. His personal favourite was the marketing department, one of the areas that Donghan oversaw. The people were friendly and Daehwi loved listening to presentations about the upcoming trends and designs. He didn’t really say much during these meetings but he enjoyed soaking in their energetic vibes and creative flow.

 

“Daehwi!” Donghan greeted loudly, sweeping the boy up into his arms and twirling him around. Daehwi wasn’t that small, to be fair. Donghan just enjoyed picking people up, no matter what age or size. “It’s been so long, you’ve grown so much!”

 

Daehwi rolled his eyes but laughed good-naturedly. “You saw me like 3 weeks ago. I’m pretty sure I didn’t change _that_ drastically.” He smoothed down his clothes after Donghan set him back on the ground. Donghyun was busy tapping away at his phone, frowning over what Daehwi could only assume was an urgent email. He ran a tired hand down his face before tucking his phone into his suit pocket.

 

“Donghan, one of the vendors wants to re-evaluate the contract terms before signing.” Donghyun sighed. Donghan shook his head, a slightly bitter smile forming on his face.

 

“Them again? This is the 6th time this month! We might as well find another vendor if they’re already causing this much fuss before we even sign with them. Can you imagine how much worse they could get?”

 

Daehwi took this as his cue to leave. He tugged on Donghan’s sleeve and hugged him goodbye. “I’ll text you when I’m done, okay?” Donghyun said quietly into Daehwi’s ear. Daehwi nodded and let go.

 

“Uncle Donghan, I’ll see you later at the studio!” He said cheerfully. Donghan winked and waved goodbye as Daehwi set off to find Gwanghyun.

 

Gwanghyun, bless him, was one of the most dedicated people in the world. At least in Daehwi’s eyes, he was. The man stuck to his schedule like a wad of chewing gum on the bottom of someone’s shoe. Daehwi tried hard to follow the sharply dressed man as he zoomed throughout the building like a bullet train.

 

“I’m your dad’s eyes and ears in this place when he’s away.” Gwanghyun had told Daehwi once.

 

“Who’s uncle Donghan’s eyes and ears?”

 

“Yongguk.” It was hard to argue against that. Yongguk was the only person, apart from Donghyun, who could easily handle Donghan’s energy. Although he was a man of very few words, Daehwi had seen him somehow shuttle Donghan along to his appointments every day.

 

After what seemed like hours, Gwanghyun finally stopped walking around like a madman and settled down in his office. Daehwi was exhausted and threw himself down on the little sofa on the side of the room. “Donghyun says he’ll be back after lunch. Said you shouldn’t wait up for him.” Gwanghyun relayed Donghyun’s words to Daehwi. “We can go grab something to eat at that little cafe your dad loves so much. It’s a little out of the way but I think you’d like it just as much as he does.”

 

As the two of them made their way down to the cafe, Daehwi found himself wondering what was so special about this place. There were tons of coffee shops in the area around the office but it seemed that Donghyun only took coffee from the particular one that Daehwi and Gwanghyun were heading to now.

 

“How come Dad never told me about this place? What’s so great about it?” He asked out loud.

 

“He’s been friends with the owner since his university days,” Gwanghyun answered. He tugged at Daehwi’s sleeve to direct him around the corner of the block. “Says that no other coffee place in the city makes his order the same way.”

 

When they finally stopped walking, they stopped in front of a tiny cafe nestled at the end of a stretch of small shops. As they entered, Daehwi took in the myriad of scents that washed over him from the scent of roasted coffee beans to the tantalisingly sweet aroma of baked goods wafting from behind the counter.

 

Gwanghyun was already making his way to where an older man donning a flowery apron was standing at the cash register and Daehwi hurried along behind him. “Who have you got there?” The older man leaned forward a little to smile warmly at Daehwi. The name tag pinned to the front of his apron read ‘Jisung’ and Daehwi could feel the genuine kindness and warmth he exuded from his smile.

 

“This is Donghyun’s son, Da-”

 

“Daehwi,” Jisung interrupted Gwanghyun, eyes shining with teary excitement. “The last time I saw you was when you were a toddler!” Daehwi smiled softly. "Oh look at you, you're so handsome! Do you have a girlfriend? A boyfriend? I can't believe he hasn't brought you here himself, no offense Gwanghyun, I'm gonna have to have some words with him the next time he stops by. Now that he's Mr Bigshot he thinks he doesn't have time to visit his old college friends..." Jisung chattered on noisily and Daehwi found himself liking the man more and more.

 

"Jisung," Gwanghyun interrupted with a smile. "I think you're overwhelming the kid a little."  Daehwi shook his head.

 

"No, I'm good. It's nice to meet you, uncle Jisung." Daehwi had to admit that Jisung looked a little misty-eyed at this. The older man sniffled before grinning at him.

 

"I'll treat you guys today, it's on the house! You two can get comfortable and I'll bring over some food and drinks in a bit, okay?" Jisung ushered them off with another wave of his hands. Gwanghyun settled down at a table by the window, taking out his phone to check some emails.

 

Daehwi found himself wandering over to the messy bulletin board pinned next to the counter. Handwritten notes, letters, poems, and even a few pictures were pinned haphazardly all over the board. Daehwi smiled to himself as he read a few of them.

 

One paper fluttered from the furthest corner of the board, an old yellowing piece of paper that looked like it had been re-pinned multiple times throughout the years. He moved closer to it and as he inspected the familiar slanted handwriting, he felt a lump lodge itself in his throat.

 

_Tonight, I’m holding onto you_

_Tonight, holding onto you_

_When you collect the stars_

_They become constellations_

_If we connect our memories_

_Will it become love again someday_?

 

It was unmistakable. Daehwi had seen this handwriting millions of times. He reread the words over and over again, letting it sink into him. "I see you've found the board," Jisung's voice said cheerfully as he leaned over the counter. He handed Daehwi a mug of steaming hot chocolate topped with a generous amount of whipped cream.

 

Daehwi gave him a grateful smile. "Do you know who wrote that?" He asked casually before taking a sip of his drink. A strange look passed over Jisung's face and the way the man shifted uncomfortably on the spot confirmed Daehwi's suspicions.

 

"It was one of my old regulars," He said, frowning slightly. "He wrote that when he was going through a pretty bad break up."

 

"What happened to them?" Daehwi asked, curiosity pricking at him incessantly.

 

Jisung's expression darkened a little more. "It was...complicated. I only heard one side of the sto-"

 

"Hyung!" Gwanghyun interrupted, appearing at Daehwi's side. "Did you forget about my coffee?" Gwanghyun's tone was teasing as he said this but Daehwi managed to catch the sharp look he gave Jisung.

 

The older man let out a chuckle and a smile replaced the troubled expression he had before. "Sorry, Gwanghyun. I'll get right on it. My bad, you two probably have a busy day."

 

"No we don'-" Daehwi started but Gwanghyun cut him off, looking at his phone.

 

"I have to be back at the office in half an hour, sorry hyung." He said apologetically. "Something came up again and Donghyun and Donghan are both off-site until 4. We're gonna have to take it all to-go."

 

As Gwanghyun moved to the counter to help Jisung pack away their lunch, Daehwi quickly pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the piece of paper before firing off a text to Woojin.

 

 **_to: woojinnie hyung_ ** **_❤_ **

_HYUNG_

_HYUNG_

_[attachment]_

 

 **_from: woojinnie hyung_ ** **_❤_ **

_!!_

_where are you?? i saw this yesterday at some cafe where i saw dads secretary or smth_

 

 **_to: woojinnie hyung_ ** **_❤_ **

_dslfkjdkdslkgsd_

_I'M HERE RN AND THIS IS DAD'S HANDWRITING_

_i think the owner of the cafe is dad's friend he looked kind of sad when i asked him abt the writing tho_

 

 **_from: woojinnie hyung_ ** **_❤_ **

_well shiet_

 

As they went on their way with paper bags filled with baked goods and sandwiches from Jisung, Daehwi couldn't help but feel a little glum.

 

The cafe. Donghyun's university years. Youngmin and Woojin. All crucial and important parts of Donghyun life that Daehwi was only starting to put together from the fragmented bits and pieces he's been scrambling to get hold of. Reading Donghyun's heart poured out onto that tattered scrap of paper started making Daehwi's own heart ache for him.

 

When they got back to the office, Daehwi’s mood still hadn’t improved. He didn’t really know he was feeling so down. Maybe a part of him felt a little upset that Donghyun hadn’t shared what was clearly an important place to him yet.

 

“Hey, buddy,” A deep voice greeted gently. Daehwi forced himself to look up and found himself staring into the smiling face of Kwon Hyunbin, Donghan’s good friend and supermodel extraordinaire. Daehwi had been terrified of the man when they first met, Daehwi being 6 at the time and Hyunbin looking menacingly with his 6-foot tall stature (the theatrical makeup he had been wearing post-runway didn’t help to ease Daehwi’s initial shock at the time). But Hyunbin’s childlike innocence and gentle ways won Daehwi over in the end.

 

“Hi hyung,” Daehwi said, giving him the model a tiny smile. He scooted over so the man could sit. Hyunbin had insisted on being called ‘hyung’, regardless of the age (and generation) gap.

 

“The clothes for the show came in and I’m itching to try them. You up for it?” Hyunbin whispered conspiratorially, a mischievous glint in his cat-like eyes. Daehwi couldn’t help but feel his mood lighten a little. Hyunbin, to Donghyun’s dismay and Donghan’s amusement, always managed to sneak Daehwi into dressing rooms during 2KDH’s fashion shows and let him try on the outfits he had worn on stage. Daehwi knew he looked ridiculous in them, considering how big Hyunbin was in comparison, but it was always fun. Daehwi had printed the photos that Hyunbin and Donghyun took of him and kept them tucked away in a box under his bed.

 

When Donghyun found them in the showroom an hour later, Daehwi was in the middle of doing a little catwalk down the middle of the room clad in a suit 3 times his size while Hyunbin was whooping loudly and taking pictures on his phone. The model was also wearing one of the new pieces from the launch, although it fit his frame beautifully. A song, which Donghyun soon recognised to be a song from one of those Western pop singers Daehwi loved so much, was blaring from the room's impressive sound system.

 

"Donghyun!" Hyunbin greeted cheerfully, pausing his photo-taking to give a little wave at his friend before resuming what he was doing. Donghyun watched with amusement as Daehwi posed here and there until he finally noticed Donghyun after removing the oversized sunglasses he had been wearing.

 

"I'm guessing you like our new line,” Donghyun said, half-laughing as Daehwi struggled to make it over to him without tearing or accidentally tripping over the new clothes.

 

“Daehwi should walk the runway with me,” Hyunbin remarked as he strided up to the two of them. “He’s gotten really good, despite the horrible fit on him.” Daehwi whacked him lightly with the overly long sleeve of the jacket he was drowning in while Donghyun laughed.

 

“Are you ready to go? Donghan's waiting at the studio,” Donghyun said with an excited gleam in his eyes. Daehwi nodded, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “You should probably get changed first, I don’t want my new designs getting leaked before the show.” Donghyun pointed out, flipping the lapel of Daehwi’s jacket.

 

“I think it’s a bit too late for that, I already posted some pictures on my Insta story.”

 

“Daehwi!”

 

*****

 

“The venue for the show has been secured, we’re signing the contract later this afternoon. They said they can give us everything except music and the sound system,” Donghyun said as he frowned over this notes.

 

“I’ve already talked to Daehyeon and he’s agreed to bring his whole set-up with him,” Donghan replied cheerfully. “He didn’t want to charge us his usual but I insisted on paying him double. He literally saved my ass more times than I could count in university, I owe him everything.”

 

Donghyun hummed in agreement as he took note of this. “Did you hear anything back from the press?”

 

“They’ve all got their panties in a twist over the guest list. Rumours are flying around like crazy. Apparently, there’s an up and coming model from Busan who arrived in Seoul a couple days ago and the press are certain that he’s been invited. It’s all untrue of course, the only people who know the full guestlist are sitting in this room.”

 

“Remind me again why we decided to be so secretive about this?” Donghyun sighed, closing his laptop. Donghan grinned back at him mischievously.

 

“It’s fun to mess with the public a little.”

 

The two of them wrapped up their meeting after that, laughing and talking about everything else in their lives. “Wanna go get lunch at Jisung hyung’s before I bounce? I’ve got to drive out to meet with one of our shipping partners in the afternoon.” Donghan suggested as they started towards the lift.

 

“Jisung hyung’s gonna give me such a nagging,” Donghyun sighed. The lift arrived and they shuffled inside. “I haven’t brought Daehwi to see him since he was a toddler.”

 

Donghan leaned around him to press the button for the basement. “Gwanghyun brought Daehwi there yesterday. Said that Jisung was all over the kid. You’ve deprived him of his favourite nephew.”

 

“You mean his _only_ nephew,” Donghyun joked. Donghan gave him a strange look and Donghyun felt his heart tighten for a bit. _Ah. Right._ “Uh, anyways I guess we could take your car then? I’ll just walk back later.”

 

“Are you sure?” Donghan asked just as the elevator opened to the parking lot. Donghyun shrugged.

 

“I was planning on stopping by one of those little shops near Jisung hyung’s. Daehwi said he saw this jacket he really wanted and I thought I could surprise him with it.” The two of them stopped in front of a midnight blue Lamborghini parked in between Donghyun’s little silver convertible and a flaming red Jaguar convertible.

 

“You spoil him, you know that?” Donghan teased as he slid into the driver’s seat of the Lamborghini.

 

“I don’t have anyone else to spend my money on. And I’m not into cars the way you are. I still don’t understand why you felt like parking two of your cars here when you could have just left one at home.” Donghyun commented, side-eyeing the Jaguar next to them as Donghan revved the engine.

 

“Different cars, different moods.” Donghan grinned as they sped out of the basement and onto the busy streets. It must have been a strange sight, Donghyun thought, to see such an extravagant car parked outside a small, unimpressive but homely looking cafe. The speed at which Donghan drove at was most likely almost breaking the legal speed limit and they arrived at Jisung’s within minutes. Considering that Jisung’s cafe wasn’t that far from the office, Donghyun felt like he had just barely begun to get comfortable in his seat.

 

“Someday, you’re going to get arrested for speeding,” Donghyun chided gently as they entered the cafe.

 

Donghan shrugged, a playful smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “I know a really good lawyer.”

 

“Oh, shut up.”

 

The cafe wasn’t too crowded. Jisung was at the counter refilling the beans in the coffee machine and he spotted the two of them and waved energetically as he balanced the bag of beans with one hand. “Donghyun! Donghan! It’s been too long,” Jisung happily hurried over and embraced them warmly.

 

Donghyun hugged the older man back tightly before pulling away. “We’ve been up to our necks with work these days,” He said regretfully. Jisung huffed a little and folded his arms.

 

“These days? I can’t believe Gwanghyun was the one who brought Daehwi to see me again after all these _years_ instead of you!” Jisung looked serious but his tone was light and teasing and Donghyun found himself feeling slightly relieved and embarrassed.

 

Jisung chatted excitedly as he led Donghan and Donghyun to one of the tables tucked away in a corner of the cafe. _Donghyun’s_ corner of the cafe. As Jisung prepared some lunch for the three of them, Donghyun looked around and let his memories of the place sink into him again. He recalled the days where he’d stay past closing, working hard on his final projects while Jisung supplied him with enough caffeine to keep him alive. All of the biggest moments of his young adult life had taken place in this little corner of the city.

 

The day he celebrated the submission of his thesis paper. The day he signed on to be Donghan’s business partner. The day when he finalised Daehwi’s adoption.

 

And the day Youngmin agreed to go out with him for their first date.

 

The re-entrance of Jisung and three plates of sandwiches and fries distracted Donghyun from dwelling too much on his old memories. Shaking himself out of his nostalgia, he stood up to get the rest of the utensils and drinks that Jisung hadn’t been able to bring over yet.

 

As the three of them settled in and began tucking into their food, Jisung and Donghan kept the conversation flowing effortlessly. “Donghan, how are you and that Taehyun fellow?”

 

Donghan waved a hand carelessly. “We broke it off months ago. Turned out he was in love with his best friend the whole time and was just trying to run away from it. No big deal though, I wasn’t really looking into anything too serious. We stayed really good friends.”

 

“Donghan’s dating one of the lawyers that Hyunbin knows now,” Donghyun said slyly, popping a fry into his mouth as Donghan’s cheeks immediately turned a light pink. “He’s so whipped for him.”

 

Jisung raised an eyebrow at this, shooting Donghan an incredulous look. “I’m _not_ whipped!” Donghan said hotly.

 

“Says the one who drove to the next city and back to get his boyfriend’s favourite fried chicken just because the outlets here ran out of that one flavour,” Donghyun shot back. Jisung laughed loudly while Donghan stabbed at his own fries grumpily and muttered incomprehensibly under his breath.

 

“What about you, Donghyun? You seeing anyone?” Jisung asked carefully.

 

“He hasn’t been out with anyone since Sewoon set him up on a blind date last _year_ ,” Donghan said mournfully around a mouthful of his sandwich. Jisung looked at Donghyun with concern.

 

“What happened? Did the date go that bad? Was he not cute enough? Or was he into weird things?” Jisung visibly shuddered.

 

“No, no. He was actually a really nice guy. He just wasn- I mean, I had too much going on with work.” Donghyun finished lamely.

 

 _He just wasn’t Youngmin_.

 

“Bullshit,” Donghan sang. “I’m just as busy as you and I still have a love life. And Daehwi’s old enough to take care of himself, he’s not a child anymore. Sewoon’s always ready to babysit too, you know how much he loves him.”

 

“Why doesn’t anyone nag Sewoon? He’s just as single as I am,” Donghyun grumbled unhappily.

 

“Because Sewoon hasn’t been hung up on his ex for the last decade, unlike you.”

 

Donghan’s blunt shrewdness was something Donghyun was used to. Donghan had always voiced out his honest opinions about anything and everything. Whether it was on business matters or on personal issues, Donghan’s brutally honest words always helped Donghyun see a little clearer.

 

“I’m working on it,” Donghyun said quietly. He could feel their gazes on him as he took a sip of his coffee. Jisung and Donghan looked mildly doubtful but let the subject drop.

 

*****

 

Later that evening, Donghyun hummed quietly under his breath as he looked out the window of his car. The rain had started falling gently over the city and Donghyun liked the melancholy that seemed to settle in whenever the drizzle started.

 

He could do a little less with the traffic though.

 

Drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, he looked over to make sure that the paper shopping bag containing a new jacket for Daehwi was still snugly strapped into the passenger seat next to him.

 

The sudden honking of a car from further in front of him forced his attention back to the road and he moved stepped on the gas pedal. He managed to move a few feet before the traffic stopped him yet again.

 

Sighing, he slumped back against his seat. He was familiar with this stretch of the road and knew he was going to be in for a long wait.

 

As he looked out the window once again, his gaze settled on a young couple laughing as they ran out from the bus stop on the other side of the street, trying in vain to shield themselves from the rain under a single umbrella.

 

A single memory, one that Donghyun had left in the very back of his mind, came to resurface as he watched the young couple running off.

  
  


_“Dude, stop staring at the model. You’re gonna freak him out.”_

 

_Moonbok’s chiding only made Donghyun feel slightly ashamed. Was it his fault that the model for their figure drawing class was stunning? Donghyun had felt his heart leap when he saw the model sit down nervously on the stool the professor had set up in the middle of the room. The relieved smile that had broken out on the model’s face once Donghyun’s professor reassured him that he didn’t need to take off his clothes had smitten Donghyun and he couldn’t take his eyes off him since._

 

_“I’m not staring,” Donghyun sulked. But he tore his eyes away from the gorgeous model for a while to sketch out the way the other boy’s hands were clasped tightly on his lap. He focused on capturing the way the model’s shirt clung loosely onto his frame but draped nicely across his wide shoulders._

 

_As his pencil moved skillfully across the page, he soon forgot about his mild infatuation with the beautiful model and determinedly worked to finish his sketch before the end of the lesson._

 

_When his professor called for them to stop and bring their drawings to her, Donghyun hovered back and let the other students go ahead. The model was still sitting on the stool, unsure of whether he was supposed to be taking his leave now that the class was over._

 

_“Hey,” Donghyun said as he sidled up to the model. “You did great. Was it your first time?”_

 

_The model frowned a little. “Sitting? No, I do it quite often.” Donghyun tilted his head and smiled a little. The other guy looked flustered as he realised what Donghyun was really asking and the blush that crept its way onto his cheeks made Donghyun’s heart do little flips in his chest. “Uh, yeah. Sorry, yeah it’s my first time modelling for anything. I nearly strangled my roommate because I thought he signed up to be a nude model but thank goodness it was just this.”_

 

_Donghyun let out a genuine laugh. No wonder the poor guy looked like he was about to pass out when he first entered the room. “Honestly though, you could be a model. Has anyone ever told you that you should consider that as a career option?”_

 

_The guy looked a bit embarrassed by Donghyun’s compliment but gave him a small smile. “No one’s ever told me that since they’re all so busy telling Hyunbin.”_

 

_Donghyun gaped at him. “Wait, you know Hyunbin?”_

 

_“Kim Donghyun, your drawing please.” Donghyun mentally swore and gave the model an apologetic smile before rushing over to his professor. But when he turned back around, the model was busy talking to the TA, who handed him an envelope before sending him on his way._

  
  


_“Sewoon, you should have seen him. He was so cute when he blushed, I wanted to hug him,” Donghyun whined, rolling over and squishing his face against Sewoon’s bed. Sewoon was sitting on the floor with his guitar, frowning over some of his composition sheets._

 

_“Did you get his name?” Sewoon asked, looking up from his work. Donghyun groaned and rolled over onto his back again._

 

_“I didn’t get to ask,” He mumbled, staring up at the ceiling. “If only Professor Park hadn’t interrupted us.” Propping himself up on his elbow, he reached one leg off the bed to poke at Sewoon. “Do you think I’ll see him again? I’ve never seen him around until now. And if he knows Hyunbin then there’s a chance that Donghan might know who he is. But why haven’t I seen him around before?” He dodged the pick that Sewoon chucked at him._

 

_“I’ll help you with your love life once I finish this composition. If you’re so desperate, why don’t you ask Donghan about your mystery guy?”_

  
  


_A week later, Donghyun still hadn’t gotten any information about the cute model from his figure drawing class. Donghan said that he had asked around and no one really knew anything about the guy aside from the fact that he was Sanggyun’s roommate. Unfortunately, Sanggyun had gone back to his hometown for an emergency and no one had been able to contact him yet so Donghyun was just going to have to wait until he returned from his trip._

 

_As he stepped off the bus, thunder rolled overhead and rain started to pour heavily. Donghyun silently thanked Sewoon for nagging him to bring an umbrella that morning before they left for classes._

 

_Once he had pulled the small umbrella out of his bag he noticed that a fellow student from his university, judging by the familiar logo on his jacket, was standing by the edge of the bus stop. He could tell that the guy was contemplating whether or not to run out into the rain as he stuck his hand out to feel the drops of water falling rapidly from the sky._

 

_“Um,” Donghyun tapped the guy on the shoulder gently. “Do you live far from here? We could walk together if you want.” As the stranger turned around, Donghyun fought the urge to gasp as he recognised him._

 

_It was the model from his figure drawing class._

 

_“It’s you!” Donghyun blurted out. The other guy furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, looking at Donghyun curiously before realisation dawned on his face._

 

_“Ah, one of the students from Professor Park’s class! You talked to me at the end of the lesson, I remember you now.” He said shyly. Donghyun felt thrilled that the guy remembered him and decided to properly introduce himself._

 

_“I’m Donghyun. Kim Donghyun. I live just a block away from here in the building across the laundromat.” He offered his hand out to shake the other boy’s hand. The boy looked at it for a moment before shaking Donghyun’s hand and smiling at him._

 

_“Youngmin. Im Youngmin. And I think my apartment is in the building across the street from yours. I live right next to the laundromat.” He said sheepishly. Donghyun grinned and offered his umbrella to him._

 

_“Can I walk you home, Youngmin-ssi?”_

  
  


Donghyun shook his head, forcing himself to shove the memory aside. He looked back at the bus stop again but the couple was long gone. The only person left was a boy, just a little older than Daehwi.

 

For some reason, Donghyun couldn’t stop looking at him. There was a nagging feeling, a sense of familiarity that he couldn’t quite place. _Maybe he’s one of Daehwi’s classmates. That’s probably why he looks familiar._ Donghyun reasoned.

 

But as he was about to look away, the boy suddenly grinned down at his phone and Donghyun felt a shock jolt through him.

 

He must have been dreaming because there was no way this was possible.

 

The snaggletooth was the same as Donghyun remembered. The boy’s cheeks had a similar chubbiness to them that Woojin had the last time Donghyun had seen him years ago, although significantly less chubby as the baby fats seemed to have started melting away.

 

“Woojin,” Donghyun said under his breath. He felt his chest tightened at the thought of sweeping Woojin up in his arms again and he ignored the prickling tears at the corner of his eyes.

 

 _No, this couldn’t be Woojin._ A little voice at the back of his head chided. _How can it be Woojin when he’s in Busan with Youngmin? Why would Youngmin ever bring the two of them back here?_

 

Donghyun swallowed the lump in his throat and squeezed his eyes shut. He leaned back against the headrest of his seat and took a deep breath before looking back at the bus stop where the boy was standing.

 

A bus had just pulled up to the stop, partially blocking the boy from view. It was evident that whoever the boy was waiting for had arrived and he gave the blonde man a hug before the two of them disappeared from view behind the bus.

 

The car behind him honked loudly, signalling him to move forward. In his haste to avoid getting rear-ended by an angry citizen, Donghyun forced himself to step on the pedal and drive.

 

It couldn’t have been Woojin. Youngmin would never have bleached his hair that colour.

 

Taking another deep breath, Donghyun forced himself to relax. He hadn’t realised his hands were trembling slightly until he held the steering wheel again.

 

As he drove back, he couldn’t help but wonder what he would have done if the boy at the bus stop _was_ Woojin.

 

 _I think the first thing I’d tell him is how sorry I am._ Donghyun thought.

 

_For not being there for him._

 

*****

 

“Are you seriously telling me that the only games you have on your PS4 is ‘Just Dance’ and ‘Ratchet and Clank’? Not even ‘Tekken’? Or ‘Overwatch’?”

 

Woojin looked at Daehwi incredulously over his shoulder after taking a look at his brother’s extremely unimpressive game collection. Daehwi didn’t look too bothered by Woojin’s complaints and continued snacking on the popcorn bowl settled in his lap.

 

It was just the two of them at Daehwi’s place that afternoon. Youngmin was attending a parent’s information session at the dance academy and would meet Haknyeon for dinner. As far as Youngmin knew, Woojin was spending another day out with Jaehwan.

 

Jaehwan, to his credit, had decided to let Woojin and Daehwi have bonding time for the afternoon and had dragged Sewoon out of the house under the guise of ‘giving the kids space’.

 

“Donghyun won’t be back until around 11pm!” Sewoon had shouted before the elevator doors shut.

 

Left alone without adult supervision, the two teenagers let themselves loose. Daehwi ordered in chicken and pizza while Woojin hooked up his phone to the penthouse’s sound system and let his music fill the empty home. Daehwi had joked about getting into Donghyun’s wine collection and panicked when Woojin seriously tried breaking the cabinet open. As they ate, Woojin had teased Daehwi about hanging out with Jinyoung just yesterday and Daehwi had screamed and threatened to call Jihoon and tell him about Woojin’s weird thing for him.

 

“DON’T THINK I DIDN’T SEE YOU TRY TO KISS HIM ON THE CHEEK ON THE LAST DAY OF CAMP! WE ALL SAW YOUR WEAK ASS GAME.”

 

“I’M YOUR HYUNG, WHY ARE YOU TALKING LIKE THIS TO ME!”

 

When they got tired of the music and once they had polished off all the food they ordered, Daehwi suggested they play on his PS4. Which was how Woojin found himself facing the only two games that Daehwi owned since purchasing the console.

 

Putting the bowl aside, Daehwi grabbed the controller and opened up the store menu before tossing the controller to Woojin. “Here, pick whichever game you think would be fun.” He said before popping another handful of popcorn into his mouth.

 

Woojin scrolled through the games in the store, looking for one that would be fun for the two of them. After spotting the title of a horror game he looked back slyly at Daehwi, who was now using his free hand to scroll through his phone, before adding it to the cart and checking out.

 

As the title screen loaded, Daehwi let out a shriek at the sight of the deathly pale video game version of Hayden Panettiere. “Hyung! What game is this?” Woojin cackled as Daehwi let out a scream as the on-screen head suddenly turned and made eye-contact with them from the screen. “TURN IT OFF I DON’T WANNA PLAY ANYMORE.”

 

Daehwi was clinging onto one of the sofa cushions now, burrowing his face in it in fear. Woojin sat next to him and peeled the cushion from Daehwi’s grasp. “Relax, my friends back home said it’s not that scary. We’ll be fine.”

 

An hour later, Woojin and Daehwi were both cowering behind a cushion each and were squabbling over who was going to keep the game moving. “I don’t want to do this anymore,” Daewhi whimpered. The game was scarier than they had expected, with multiple jumpscares and the ability to bring their worst fears into the game itself through the questions the in-game doctor would ask them between chapters.

 

“Let’s take a soda break,” Woojin relented. He didn’t want to admit it but he had nearly wet himself on the spot when a particularly sudden jumpscare came out of nowhere. Hitting the menu button, the two of them hurried to the kitchen to grab some drinks from the fridge.

 

“Dad’s gonna love this game,” Daehwi admitted. “He’s always been good at dealing with horror stuff. He and Sewoon always have horror movie marathons. They always try to get me to join but I get nightmares too easily.”

 

Woojin took a gulp from his can before speaking. “That’s funny because Dad hates horror movies. He always hides behind me when we’re watching them at home.

 

“Daehwi! I’m home!”

 

Donghyun’s voice echoing down the entrance hall made the two boys freeze in shock. _What do we do?_ Woojin mouthed at Daehwi desperately. Daehwi looked too shocked to even speak or move and the two boys turned towards the sound of Donghyun’s footsteps getting closer and closer.

 

“Daehwi, are you alr-”

 

Donghyun’s voice broke off as he stared at Daehwi and Woojin. The silence hanging over them was palpable and Daehwi could see a flurry of emotions fly across his father’s face. From surprise to confusion to shock as he recognised the boy standing next to Daehwi. Donghyun looked like he was about to collapse until Woojin stepped forward with a shaky smile.

 

“Hi, dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact: daehwi's reaction to the game (do any of u know it hahaha) was pulled straight from my own experience with that game when i first played it at my friend's house
> 
> things have started moving!! and hopefully things will pick up faster from here. i know it's not the reunion you guys were hoping for yet but consider this a step closer to the Big Reunion ;)
> 
> hit us up on twitter! i'm back to my old handle ([taemintys](https://twitter.com/taemintys)) and hoeunki's is still [takadactyl](https://twitter.com/takadactyl) ❤
> 
> \- kwonjis


	12. i'm so sorry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i suggest you listen to the gone cold acoustic version on loop as you read this for full emo times

“Hi, dad.”

 

Woojin tried not to let his voice shake as he greeted Donghyun for the first time in over a decade. He could feel waves of anxiety emanating off of Daehwi from behind him as silence overtook the room.

 

Donghyun was still in shock, mouth open in disbelief as his eyes took in the sight of Woojin in front of him. Woojin wanted him to say something, anything to break the tension in the room.

 

“You're home... early,” Daehwi squeaked. Donghyun nodded, his mouth still half open. His eyes never left Woojin.

 

Woojin inhaled deeply. _You can do this_.

 

He approached Donghyun slowly, as if he were a wild animal of some sort. He saw his father visibly tense as he drew near and carefully wrapped his arms around his torso. Woojin exhaled a shaky breath, leaning his forehead against Donghyun’s chest.

 

“It's nice to meet you,” he whispered.

 

With that one sentence, Donghyun practically collapsed, falling to his knees as he returned the hug. He ran his hands up and down Woojin’s back, as if to check that Woojin was really there in the flesh.

 

When Donghyun spoke, Woojin was startled to hear how choked up he sounded. Donghyun pulled away but kept his hands on Woojin’s shoulders, holding him as if he was afraid Woojin would suddenly disappear if he let go of him. “How?” Donghyun’s voice was steadier now, but wavered slightly with confusion. “Why are you _here_ ? How did you _get_ here? You’re supposed to be in Busan with…”

 

“Surprise,” Woojin said weakly, giving Donghyun a small smile. Donghyun’s eyes roamed his face, taking in every inch of Woojin before pulling him in for another hug.

 

Woojin hastily rubbed at the tears forming in his eyes. He did it. He finally met his father, and he was just as handsome as he was in Daehwi’s aged photograph.

 

It was only a matter of time until Youngmin met him again too.

 

Donghyun stood up and turned to Daehwi, folding his arms and giving the younger boy a stern face.

 

“Daehwi, you have a _lot_ of explaining to do.”

 

Daehwi scratched his head sheepishly and chuckled nervously. “Uh, well...it started when-"

 

The sudden ding of the elevator cut through Daehwi’s sentence and reverberated around the house. Footsteps approached and Woojin exchanged yet another panicked glance with Daehwi.

 

“I wonder how the kids are doi-" Sewoon rounded the corner and froze immediately at the sight of Donghyun. Jaehwan appeared from behind, peering over his shoulder.  

 

Jaehwan approached them with a slightly confused expression. “Daehwi, is your house always full of handsome men because I might have to visit this place more often if it is.”

 

Sewoon, who had regained his composure, followed up behind Jaehwan and hit his shoulder. “That's Donghyun, idiot!”

 

Donghyun started at the two in shock. “Wait, wait. You have a _boyfriend_ , Sewoon? And I didn't know about this? Why isn't anyone telling me anything?”

 

Sewoon blanched at the word ‘boyfriend’ and Jaehwan beamed, stepping forward with a bright smile. “Hi, nice to meet you! I'm Jaehwan, Sewoon’s-"

 

“HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND,” Sewoon interrupted, blocking him with an arm, and Daehwi giggled.

 

“He's my… housekeeper,” Woojin said, and shrugged when Jaehwan glared at him. “What? You're practically unemployed.”

 

“Wow, is that all I am to you?” Jaehwan pouted and clung onto Sewoon’s arm. “Sewoonie is the only one who truly loves me.”

 

Sewoon rolled his eyes and shook the other man off. “I think we should sit down and have a talk,” he suggested, gesturing towards the sofa.

 

*****

 

Daehwi explained how Sewoon had given him the family photo, how he and Woojin coincidentally ended up in the same cabin, how their friends found out before they did. Donghyun looked shell-shocked when Woojin said that he had seen Donghyun pick up Daehwi during the last day of camp.

 

“You were right there,” Donghyun’s tone was slightly bitter as he said this. “And I didn’t even know.”

 

Woojin reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “It’s okay, Dad.”

 

Daehwi watched as Donghyun squeezed Woojin’s hand in response. “You’re not mad, are you?” Daehwi asked softly, a small lump forming in his throat. Donghyun looked at the two of them and sighed, letting go of Woojin’s hand.

 

“No,” Donghyun answered. He was looking down at the floor as he said this and Daehwi could see him fiddling his fingers. “I’m not angry. I suppose I deserve this after keeping you two apart for so long. I’m sorry I never told you the truth, Daehwi.”

 

Daehwi gave him a hug. “That’s okay. I’m sure you had your reasons.”

 

“So when are you and Youngmin gonna meet again?” Jaehwan interrupted. All of them looked at him, Donghyun looking like he wanted to puke while Daehwi and Woojin looked like they were ready to strangle him. Jaehwan merely shrugged as he sipped from the wine glass in his hand that matched the one Sewoon was currently pouring wine into. “Wasn’t this the whole point of the trip?”

 

Donghyun bit his lip. “I don't… I dont think I'm quite ready yet. We didn't exactly end on the best of terms.”

 

“That’s an understatement,” Sewoon commented as he swirled the contents of his glass lazily. Donghyun frowned at him but said nothing. Instead, he turned to face Woojin, reaching out to hold his hand.

 

“I still can’t believe that you’re here,” he murmured. “You’ve grown up a lot.”

 

Woojin smiled and his snaggletooth appeared. Donghyun cooed, pulling Woojin towards him. Donghyun grabbed Daehwi’s arm and pulled him as well, cradling both of them in his lap. He barely heard both of his sons exclaim as their heads collided. “I’m so-”

 

_“tell them pretty faced girls tryna grabs each other, and them undercover freaks who ain’t nun’ but trouble~”_

 

Woojin’s face flushed a dark red as he hurriedly answered his phone without checking the caller ID. “Hello?”

 

Youngmin coughed. “Wooj? Why do you sound so surprised? It’s just me.”

  
Woojin rolled off Donghyun’s lap and sat on the plush carpet. “Oh! Yeah, I knew that. What’s up?” He glanced over his shoulder to see Donghyun watching him with his head tilted in curiosity.

 

“Haknyeon and I just finished our little thing over here. We’re meeting up for dinner, remember? Also tell Jaehwan to answer the messages I send him.” Woojin checked the clock, shocked that it was indeed almost time for their scheduled dinner.

 

“Hyung, dad says to answer his messages.” At the mention of ‘dad’, Woojin saw the color drain from Donghyun’s face.

 

Jaehwan rolled his eyes. “I put my phone on do not disturb mode for a reason, but okay.”

 

“He says okay,” Woojin relayed back to Youngmin. “I’ll see you soon! I just gotta say bye to Jinyoung’s parents.” He had texted Youngmin earlier that afternoon, claiming that Jaehwan got tired of walking around so they went to his friend Jinyoung’s house. Youngmin hadn’t suspected a thing.

 

“Give them a thank you hug for me. Must’ve been hard to have an annoying brat in their house for the whole day.”

 

“Will do,” Woojin promised, pressing the hang up button. He pocketed his phone and strode up to Donghyun, giving him a big hug.

 

Donghyun looked taken aback. “What’s this for?”

 

“Thanks for letting me stay in your house all afternoon. I kinda used it as a cover up so Dad wouldn’t find out.”

 

Donghyun swallowed. “Was that him on the phone just now?”

 

Woojin nodded, suddenly feeling a little nervous. “Yeah.”

 

“Is he…” Donghyun trailed off. _Where is he? How has he been? Did he remarry?_ “I’m guessing you have to go now?” He asked, feeling his chest tighten again.

 

Woojin nodded. Noticing Donghyun’s mild distress he hugged his father again, tighter this time. “I’ll see you again soon. I promise I’ll stop by again.” His voice was muffled against Donghyun’s shirt and Donghyun couldn’t help but feel his heart melt. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of Woojin’s head before letting him go.

 

“Give me a little warning next time, okay?” He directed this to everyone in the room, eyeing them warily. Sewoon shrugged while Daehwi pouted.

 

“You’re the one who went home too early,” He said, crossing his arms. “You walked right into this.”

 

“You and I,” Donghyun pointed at Daehwi as he stood up. “Are going to have a little talk later.”

 

“Busted,” Sewoon snickered. Donghyun shot him a look.

 

“Don’t think I’m letting you off that easily either.” Sewoon shrugged and downed the last of the contents of his glass.

 

Leaping to his feet, Daehwi grabbed Woojin by the arm and tugged him off the sofa. “I can take you and Jaehwan down.”

 

Jaehwan pouted and cast Sewoon a glance. “I’ll text you,” He said solemnly. Sewoon gaped at him in disbelief while everyone else laughed.

  


*****

  


Youngmin stared out at the people along the sidewalk as the taxi whizzed through the streets of Seoul. Much to his relief, Haknyeon didn’t have any socialite gatherings to drag him to today. They weren’t boring per say, but it was a part of a lifestyle that wasn’t quite what he was used to, being a simple farm boy and whatnot.

 

They were currently on their way to the SMTOWN Coex Artium. Jaehwan and Woojin had been annoyingly persistent about visiting it for some reason. “It’s an experience,” they had insisted. Jaehwan was chatting to Woojin, who sat in the front seat. Haknyeon had his head on Youngmin’s shoulder and was drawing patterns on his thigh.

 

“Let’s go to Namsan later, babe.” Youngmin glanced down at Haknyeon, who smiled sunnily at him. “I want to see it in person. You’ve never been there, right?”

 

A memory of warm hands, a neon pink lock, and a mop of messy black hair flashed briefly before Youngmin’s eyes. He swallowed.

 

“No. I haven’t.”

 

He caught Woojin staring at him through the rearview mirror with a strange expression on his face. Woojin gave him a smile before he resumed whatever game he was playing on his phone.

 

“I never asked how your day with Jinyoung went. How was it?” Youngmin asked.

 

Woojin considered it for a long time. “It was good. He’s really into music and showed me his vinyl collection, and then we ordered food and played video games.”

 

“We should invite him for a meal before we go back,” Youngmin commented. Woojin tried not to let his voice betray him as he chuckled.

 

“Yeah, we should.”

 

As soon as they arrived at the Artium, Woojin momentarily set aside his concerns about Donghyun and Daehwi in favour of gushing over Kai standees and other EXO memorabilia on display. Jaehwan nearly got into a fight with a fangirl over the last Baekhyun scented candle and Woojin and Youngmin had to drag him away before he could start anything.

 

“I saw it first!” He protested indignantly as the girl gave him a nasty smirk and ran off with the candle. “Oh! That little brat is gon-”

 

“Why don’t we all grab lunch? I think we’ve seen just about every inch of this place,” Youngmin said loudly as Woojin held back a struggling Jaehwan. Haknyeon, who had just been watching Jaehwan’s antics with a disapproving look on his face, turned to Youngmin and smiled widely.

 

“Great idea, babe.” Woojin felt like slamming his head against the display table as he saw the way Haknyeon slipped his arm into Youngmin’s. “I’m craving something Western, do you think there’s any good restaurants nearby?”

 

As he let Haknyeon and Youngmin chatter among themselves, Woojin let himself lag a few steps behind them. He didn’t really care about what they were gonna eat for lunch, if he was gonna be honest. All he wanted was a day with just him, his dad, and Jaehwan. He scowled a little as Haknyeon laughed obnoxiously about something Youngmin said. _It probably wasn’t even that funny_ , he thought glumly as he tried to distract himself with his surroundings.

 

As if sensing that Woojin’s mood had dropped, Youngmin suddenly paused and turned around. He detached himself from Haknyeon and slowed down to fall into step with Woojin. “You craving anything for lunch?” He asked gently. Woojin looked up at him. He cast a glance at Haknyeon, who was pouting slightly while giving Woojin a nasty stare, before grinning widely.

 

“Can we get _sundae-guk_?” He asked innocently. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Haknyeon visibly blanch.

 

“Honey,” Haknyeon started. “I thought we were gonna get Weste-”

 

“ _Sundae-guk_ it is!” Youngmin said brightly, ruffling Woojin’s hair. Woojin felt a rush of satisfaction as Haknyeon frowned slightly before plastering a smile on his face.

 

“Whatever Woojin wants, right?” He said through gritted teeth as he side-eyed Woojin. Jaehwan whistled as he kicked a stray can at Haknyeon’s heels and sniggered as the man let out a shriek in shock.

 

The restaurant they eventually settled on was situated somewhere in the middle of an office district and as Woojin eyed the office workers digging into their lunch, he thought of Donghyun and wondered what he was doing right now.

 

“You looked awfully deep in thought,” Youngmin commented as he placed a bowl rice in front of Woojin.

 

“I was just imagining what it would be like to live here,” Woojin said. “It’s so different from Busan. Everyone’s moving so fast.”

 

Youngmin let out a laugh. “Yeah, it was kind of hard for me to get used to it when I first moved here. But my friends helped me forget my homesickness.”

 

“Do you still keep in touch with your college friends?” Woojin asked curiously. He noticed the way Youngmin’s hand faltered for a bit as he was picking up food from his bowl.

 

“Not really. I send them birthday wishes every now and then.” He said nonchalantly. Woojin let the conversation go and was grateful for Jaehwan butting in about how he still remembered his friends from university.

 

“I didn’t even know you went to university,” Haknyeon said in undisguised surprise. “What did you even study?”

 

Jaehwan’s chest puffed up with pride as he responded, “I studied music, of course. But you wouldn’t know that considering your big head gets in the way of you seeing anything outside of you and Youngmin.”

 

As Youngmin tried to simultaneously placate Haknyeon and reprimand Jaehwan, Woojin felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He checked his messages and saw that Daehwi had left him a couple of messages.

 

**_From: hwihwihwi_ **

_tomorrow night @ uncle jisung’s_

_are u ready?_

 

Woojin felt his heart racing with anticipation as he read Daehwi’s words. He glanced at Youngmin before firing off a reply.

 

**_To: hwihwihwi_ **

_i was born ready_

 

“What are you smiling at?” Youngmin asked and Woojin didn’t realise he was smiling so big until Youngmin pointed it out. Pocketing his phone, he picked up his chopsticks and shrugged.

 

“Nothing. Jinyoung sent a meme to the group chat,” He lied smoothly as he reached for some kimchi.

 

The rest of lunch went by without another unnecessary outburst from Jaehwan and Haknyeon. They spent the rest of the afternoon walking around and doing some window shopping before Haknyeon insisted they take a cable car up to see the night view from Namsan Tower.

 

As the cable car took them higher and higher, Youngmin looked out at the tiny glistening lights spattered across the city and felt the painful twinge of old memories coming back up to the surface.

 

_“I’ve always wanted to do this!” Youngmin gasped as he stepped out onto the deck. Hundreds of locks were linked onto the fence and Youngmin was awed at the all the little scribbles he could see on most of them. Donghyun intertwined their hands and pressed a soft kiss to the back of Youngmin’s as he held up a horrendously bright pink lock with his other hand._

 

_“Ready?”_

 

_With careful movements, the two of them took turns writing their names on one side of the lock. Youngmin drew a little heart under their names and laughed as Donghyun flipped the lock around and quickly sketched a cartoonish looking llama and buffalo on the other side._

 

_As they stepped up to find an empty spot between all the other locks on the fence, Youngmin looked at Donghyun and kissed him gently on the cheek. “I love you,” He said, feeling his heart swell with affection as he looked at the way the setting sun bathed Donghyun’s face with a golden glow. He was beautiful and kind and Youngmin could hardly believe this wonderful man loved him back._

 

_Donghyun blushed lightly at this before kissing him back and murmuring, “I love you too,” against the older’s lips. They grinned, so clearly and so stupidly in love with each other, as they fixed their lock onto the fence._

 

_“Hopefully we won’t get taken apart by the Namsan maintenance crew like these locks will after a couple of years,” Donghyun joked._

 

“Babe, we’re here!” Haknyeon’s voice snapped Youngmin out of his daze and felt a weird feeling well up in his chest as he spotted the familiar view of the peak. It was strange to back here again after years. Nothing really changed much, except for the company he was with. He slid an arm around Haknyeon’s waist as they got off the cable car and smiled as Haknyeon gushed about the view.

 

“Do you wanna write our names on a lock and leave it here?” Youngmin suggested. Haknyeon wrinkled his nose a little in disapproval.

 

“That’s so cheesy, babe. And it’s overpriced.” Haknyeon giggled.

 

“R-right. Yeah,” Youngmin swallowed the lump in his throat. A light tugging on his shirt diverted his attention and he saw Woojin looking at him.

 

“Dad, can we buy a lock?”

 

Youngmin glanced at Haknyeon, who was attempting to coerce Jaehwan into taking a photo of him, before smiling back at Woojin.

 

“Of course, son.”

 

The scene was so eerily familiar yet so different at the same time. Youngmin watched as Woojin picked out a big fat navy blue lock and a silvery paint marker. Memories of that bright pink lock and Donghyun’s hand in his flashed through his mind as Woojin came running back to him.“This will _never_ wash off!” He declared cheerfully. Youngmin wrote their names on either side of the lock before letting Woojin take it.

 

“To us. And our little family.” Woojin declared before he clicked the lock into place. Youngmin kissed the top of Woojin’s head as he took a picture of the lock with his phone.

 

As they looked over the city, Youngmin felt Woojin lean against him. “Thanks for letting us have this trip, Dad.” Woojin said quietly. “It’s been so fun, I kind of don’t want to go back home.”

 

Youngmin pulled Woojin into a hug before looking back out at the city he had called home so many years ago.

 

“I kind of don’t want to go back home either,” He said softly.

 

_I guess I’ve missed this place more than I expected._

 

*****

 

The rest of the next day passed by in a blur, Youngmin finding himself lost in the nostalgia of all the places he used to visit back when he lived in Seoul. It was hard not to think about _him_ , not when he could so clearly see the image of both them holding hands, fingers locked tightly as they ran through the subways, across overhead bridges, along the riverside.

 

Youngmin exhaled softly. He really, really, wasn’t over him, was he?

 

The four of them were walking around the streets of Insa-dong, having visited a couple of art galleries in the early afternoon. The sun had begun its descent over the distant skyscrapers and the sky was fading into a dull pink.

 

“Jaehwan,” he called out, and his friend turned back towards him. There was a lollipop dangling from his mouth.

 

“What.”

 

Youngmin shoved his hands in his pockets, keeping his eyes focused on Woojin and Haknyeon up ahead. They were surprisingly not at each other’s throats for once. “Nothing, really. You seem to be having fun these days.”

 

Jaehwan chewed on the candy, crunching it between his teeth. “Yeah, Seoul’s pretty cool.”

After a beat he added, “You holding up okay?”

 

Youngmin stumbled on the pavement and Jaehwan caught his arm. Looking up at his friend he saw the concern etched into his brows. He knew Jaehwan wasn’t stupid--he was the one who had to deal with the aftermath of Youngmin’s messy breakups, after all.

 

Jaehwan let go and rolled his eyes, chewing intently on the plastic lollipop stick. “If Woojin does end up going here for school… you’re going to have to do better than that.” He skipped off to Woojin’s side, leaving Youngmin alone with his thoughts once more.  

 

Jaehwan’s words struck his heart. He watched as Woojin laughed, loud and obnoxious, how his steps seemed a bit lighter as he walked along the sidewalk. Woojin was happy here, and it was obvious. Things were finally more his pace: more lively, more energetic.

 

But the possibility of moving back here scared him. Sure, they were pretty well-off now, but Youngmin would have to find a job again. He’d have to face the morning commutes, the heavy traffic. He’d have to deal with the thought of Donghyun again, especially now that he was famous or whatever. Youngmin swallowed. Donghyun probably had someone else now, being some hotshot bachelor. He probably didn’t spend every breakup blasting sad songs and moping around like a loser.  

 

_You’re going to have to do better than that._

 

Donghyun was, and always had been, too good for Youngmin.

 

Haknyeon latched onto his arm and poked his cheek. “Youngmin~~ you’re looking so deep in thought. I have to catch a cab to my friend’s place, okay? I’ll see you back at the hotel.”

 

Their mouths met in a sloppy kiss before Haknyeon patted his cheek and sped away.

 

Jaehwan coughed. “Woojin’s decided where we’ll have dinner, apparently.” Said child was busy texting on his phone again, smiling weirdly at the screen. He had been strangely occupied the entire day, texting this ‘Jinyoung’ and ‘Jihoon’.

 

“Woojin,” Youngmin said. No response. He tried again with a louder voice and Woojin had to practically tear his eyes from his phone.

 

“Yeah?”

 

Jaehwan looked pointedly at him and he startled a bit. “O-oh! Yeah, dinner! I wanna take you to that nice place I saw a few days ago. They’re having an open mic so we get to hear some live singing!”

 

Youngmin shrugged. “Sounds good to me. Lead the way, Wooj.”

 

He wasn’t really paying attention as they waited at a bus stop. Haknyeon was texting him about something and he was only half-listening to what Jaehwan was yapping about. There was something familiar about the road they were taking, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint it.

 

On the bus, Youngmin stared out the window. The streets that passed before his eyes were so different now. Buildings that he used to recognise were gone, like that hair salon next to the train station. People on the sidewalks were busier, chatting away on their phones or listening to music with wireless earphones. Things had changed a lot.

 

It was a strange feeling, knowing that the city that he had once loved had changed so much while he was still stuck in the past. He thought of Haknyeon, with his wide smile and nice eyes.

 

Maybe it _was_ time to move on. For real, this time.

 

The bus lurched to a stop, and Youngmin stumbled into Jaehwan, whose forehead collided with one of the swinging bus handles. Swearing fluently under his breath, Jaehwan rubbed at the sore spot on his head with a small frown as he turned around to face Youngmin. “What’s got you all distracted?” He said, half-jokingly. Youngmin smiled apologetically as he held onto one of the handles to steady himself.

 

“I was just thinking about how everything’s changed so much since I was last here,” He said softly. “I can hardly recognise my old haunts.”

 

Jaehwan hummed as he listened. “But there’s gotta be a few things that haven’t changed since then, right?” The look he gave Youngmin was unreadable, leaving Youngmin slightly unnerved.

 

Thankfully, Woojin saved him from having to respond when he stood up from where he was seated and announced that they were supposed to get off the bus at the upcoming stop. Jaehwan had directed his attention to Woojin now and the two of them were laughing and joking about something as they moved towards the front of the bus.

 

When they stepped off the bus a few minutes later, Youngmin took a moment to look at where Woojin decided to lead them all to.

 

Youngmin was suddenly overcome with the very strong urge to get back on the bus.

 

The area they were currently in was one that Youngmin was very familiar with. It was an area that Youngmin had visited frequently back when he still lived in Seoul. Although many of the shops and restaurants had changed, Youngmin could still recognise the kimbap place where he’d grab a roll for breakfast before rushing off to class.

 

Youngmin wondered if the nice ahjumma was still working there.

 

As they walked on, with Woojin leading the way, Youngmin found himself lost in his memories once again. The sidewalks hadn’t changed one single bit and a distant memory resurfaced briefly as he stared at the cracked cement under his feet.

 

If he closed his eyes right now, he would probably be able to see the way Donghyun would hop down the sidewalk as if the cracks were stepping stones. “It’s all superstition! It’s not real!” Donghyun would say as Youngmin laughed at him.

 

“Dad, if you step on those cracks, you’re gonna have back problems real soon,” Woojin warned, hopping across the street. Youngmin felt the sudden urge to cry and Jaehwan must’ve sensed his distress because he put a hand on his arm.

 

“Yo, are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

 

Youngmin forced a smile. “... I’m fine.” Jaehwan cast him a doubtful look before walking ahead.

 

A heavy feeling began to settle in the pit of his stomach as Woojin continued to pass by all the shops without batting an eyelash. He could still recall the number of paces it took to get from that Japanese restaurant to…

_The Sandglass Cafe._

 

_It wasn’t much; there was a hole in the roof and one of the windows were cracked when they first visited, but it was a nice and quiet place to chill and eat good food. Donghyun had insisted on bringing him here for their first date, and he ordered a blueberry cheesecake for them to share._

 

_Today was another one of those afternoons, Youngmin and Donghyun curled up in a secluded corner of the restaurant with textbooks stacked on the table and stationery strewn around. Jisung kept making rounds with his broom, occasionally dropping by with some test cookies and sandwiches from the kitchen to keep them going._

 

_“Man, I can’t wait until we graduate,” Donghyun sighed, flipping idly through his textbook and not really reading anything. His legs were propped up on Youngmin’s thighs._

 

_Youngmin poked him with a purple highlighter. “You’re getting way ahead of yourself. We’re not even in our final year.”_

 

_Donghyun jabbed back with a ruler, sticking it in Youngmin’s armpit and making the taller of the two squirm in his seat. “Yeah, yeah.” He looked over at Jisung, who was taping a broken chair leg. “Maybe Jisung hyung will have patched up this place by then.”_

 

_Jisung glared at the couple as they laughed. “I’m cutting off your supply of free food.” Donghyun instantly stopped laughing._

 

_“You can’t do that! We’re broke college students, hyung!”_

 

The sign was still the same, same old chipped paint on wood. The windows were new, no cracks or holes. Things were clearly going well; Youngmin noted the expansion on the side where tables and chairs were lined up.

 

‘OPEN MIC TONIGHT’, read the chalky yellow letters on the blackboard. The curtains were drawn, but Youngmin could tell that the lights inside had been dimmed already. Nostalgia pricked at his heart, remembering all of the dates and study sessions, all of the spilled tea and the silly faces they would draw on the window when it was cold outside.

 

How funny that Woojin had chanced across the place where he and Donghyun fell in love.

 

Aforementioned son also happened to be pushing the door open excitedly, pulling Youngmin in as he continued to reminisce. The interior was dark, as expected. Lights hung around the room that bore resemblance to giant fireflies. A stool and a mic was set up on stage, and a young woman was playing the violin.

 

A familiar figure stood at the counter, wiping it down with a cloth.

 

“Jisung?” Youngmin asked, and watched as his old friend turned around. His hair was nicer, not so shaggy-looking anymore, and Youngmin could see the age around his tired but smiling eyes. Overall, he really hadn’t changed at all. He still wore the floral printed apron that his sister gave him.

 

Confusion flickered over the other man’s face. He stared long and hard at Youngmin, before his jaw dropped.

 

“Im Youngmin?” he gawked, scanning Youngmin up and down. He set his cloth down and came out from behind the counter, striding up to the three of them. He grabbed Youngmin’s face and squished his cheeks together.

 

“Wow, I haven’t seen you for ages!” he said, tilting Youngmin’s head this way and that. “You’ve really grown up, huh.”

 

His eyes travelled to Woojin, who was smiling cheekily. “You!” he exclaimed, dramatically pointing a finger at him. “You-you were the kid! The one with the cheesecake!” He glanced at Youngmin and then at Woojin, and his eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

 

“Wait! _You’re Woojin?!_ ” came the shrill hiss (the violinist had finished her solo and now a band playing jazz music was occupying the small stage).

 

Youngmin grabbed Jaehwan, who was trying to inch towards a table. “When the hell did you guys even come here?”

 

Jaehwan shrugged, which was pretty much his response to anything Youngmin ever asked him. He was pretty sure the musician’s shoulders were going to fall off one day.

 

Woojin poked Youngmin. “You know Jisung? I didn’t know you were so popular, dad.”

 

Youngmin ruffled his son’s hair. “I used to visit here a lot, back when it was new and stuff.”

 

“And he would take advantage of my weak heart and threaten me for food!” Jisung added, winking at Woojin. Youngmin rolled his eyes. It may have been over a decade, but the guy’s sense of humor was still as lame as ever.

 

“Who did you come here with?” Woojin asked innocently.

 

Youngmin paused.

 

“My university friends.” His answer must’ve disappointed Woojin somehow, because he saw he shoulders droop. He was probably expecting some stories about dating or whatever. But Youngmin wasn’t ready to tell him yet. Soon, maybe. Hopefully.

 

Jisung patted him on the shoulder. “Well, you guys should have a seat and I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”

 

Woojin thanked him and sat down by a table. Jaehwan made a sudden dash to sit next to him, leaving Youngmin to the chair facing away from the stage. Woojin seemed to be in a strangely good mood for some reason, he observed. He was periodically engaging in conversation with Jaehwan and even Jisung when he came to serve their food. He kept glancing at his phone, too.

It wasn’t long before Youngmin had forgotten why he was so anxious about coming back to this place. Once the food was served, a simple carbonara for him and burgers for Jaehwan and Woojin, Jisung pulled up a chair next to their table. He launched into some anecdotes about odd customers he had met in the past week and kept the conversation going with questions about their life in Busan. Youngmin admired the way he was so relaxed and easy to talk to.

 

Youngmin was so preoccupied with telling Jisung about the art of sashimi-making that he barely registered the sounds of applause behind him. The next performer cleared their throat and began their song, plucking a soft and vaguely familiar chord progression. At first Youngmin believed it to be some acoustic cover of a pop song that he had hear once in a department store or something. But then they started singing, and Youngmin’s blood ran cold at the all-too familiar voice that he never thought he’d hear again.

 

_Let’s not be in pain_

_I don’t wanna hurt you_

_Holding onto your cold hands_

 

He trailed off mid-sentence, not even registering the question that Jisung asked him.

 

_Food just became food_

_Coffee is too bitter to drink_

_It’s like the temperature of our love_

 

As if on autopilot, Youngmin stood up. He turned around and sure enough, there sat Kim Donghyun, the spotlight casting a halo of light around him. His eyes were closed, fingers strumming a melody that he had clearly practiced for years.

 

_Yes, we’ve turned against each other_

_As we feel ourselves cooling down_

_Maybe fighting would be better, yeah_

 

Shadows danced across his face as he sung with his eyes closed. His vocals had improved tremendously and he was even more beautiful than Youngmin remembered, if it were even possible.

 

_I feel your heart_

_And you feel my temperature_

_It’s so cold, so cold_

 

The lyrics were different, different from what Youngmin had listened to in his dorm room when Donghyun had just began composing it. They were much, much, sadder.

 

_Do you remember?_

_When we were in love_

_All of the promises we made_

_That got pushed behind?_

 

Youngmin’s feet began moving, carrying him towards the stage in possessed movements. As he drew closer to Donghyun, felt something wet stain his cheeks and reached up to find tears flowing from his eyes. He hastily wiped them away.

 

_I loved you_

_You loved me_

_I don’t remember_

_How we cooled down like this_

 

In his urgency to simultaneously dry his tears and move forward, Youngmin collided with the edge of a table and knocked a plate over, sending it flying onto the floor where it crashed into a million pieces.

 

The music stopped. He tripped over something, and was about to fall when a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him upwards. He bumped into his savior and brushed away his disheveled hair so that he could apologize properly.

 

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” he blubbered, and froze when he found himself face to face with someone who was staring him down with an impassive expression.

 

“Yeah,” Sewoon said. “Me too.”

 

Youngmin only had a second to process his confusion before Sewoon reared back and punched him square between his eyes.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND WE'RE ALIVE! firstly, i just want to say that we're both super extremely sorry for making you guys wait so long. things happened, i graduated and am now attending uni, and kwonjis is dealing with her last year in uni so it's been quite busy. i've been trying to get the creative juices flowing by writing one shots and stuff but sometimes it's just super hard to write a certain chapter, y'know? and we wanted this chapter to be PERFECTLY PERFECT because it was of Utmost Importance. and our boys finally came back too! with a whole full album and amazing songs and a great mv and i'm so PROUD OF THEM. things will hopefully pick up from here (but we can't guarantee). again, THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR WAITING and loving this fic!! it really means a whole lot to us and seeing all the support on twitter just makes our day. WE LOVE YOU ALL THANKS FOR STICKING WITH US ❤❤
> 
> hit us up on twitter: @[takadactyl](https://twitter.com/takadactyl) and @[taemintys](https://twitter.com/taemintys) ❤


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